The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has said that skills shortages have increased 130% across the labour market, citing the results of a new survey.

Despite a surge in job openings, the number of positions left vacant because employers cannot find people with the skills or knowledge to fill them has risen by 130% since 2011. Sectors particularly impacted include electricity, gas and water and construction, with transport and manufacturing not far behind.

Lesley Giles, deputy director at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills said: “With global competition intensifying, the UK urgently needs to boost its productivity. To do that, we need people with the right skills. But that’s only half the story. Creating good jobs that produce high-quality, bespoke goods and services is just as important. The Employer Skills Survey provides a wealth of data to enable businesses, training providers and policy makers to make informed decisions about what needs to be done to boost jobs, productivity and prosperity throughout the UK.”

Researchers interviewed over 90,000 establishments across the UK to produce the Employer Skills Survey from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Widely regarded as being one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys of its kind in the world, the survey gathers data from employers on a wide range of issues - from skills gaps and shortages to investment in training and under-employment.