County faces labour shortage (From Western Telegraph)

County faces labour shortage

ALTHOUGH Pembrokeshire has the fourth highest unemployment in Wales, there is still a shortage of labour for many jobs - farming and tourism particularly - members of Pembrokeshire County Council's economy overview and scrutiny committee were told last week.

Presenting a comprehensive review of the labour market, economic development officer Kefin Wakefield said the decline in agricultural employment had led to an increase in part-time farming.

Cllr Jamie Adams said lack of affordable childcare and transport were among add-on costs which were affecting employment and there were some big issues that needed looking at.

Cllr Moira Lewis asked what could be done about migrant workers from such places as Poland and Lithuania who were taking jobs in tourism and the ferries when local people were unemployed.

Director of development, Roger Barrett-Evans, said employers were forced to take on such labour to keep their businesses running because locals did not want them.

People from EU member countries were entitled to work her, just as local people could work in Poland or Lithuania.

Cllr Henry Jones hoped steps could be taken to mitigate future fluctuations following completion of major contracts and to deal with some of the 7,000 workers on incapacity benefit trying to get back into construction work.

Cllr Ken Edwards said the problems were welcome as they were reflections of current high employment, and Cllr John Allen said the authority needed to plan to cope with the pressures imposed by the construction boom.

Mr Wakefield referred to measures being taken to encourage skilled people to return to the county.

THE committee heard that 19,253 people in the county were totally economically inactive when the last statistics were prepared in 2001.

The economically active totalled 47,373, of whom 25,758 were men, while the total population of working age was 66,626. The loss of younger people, due to working outside the area, was reflected in the fact that the 20-29 year olds were the smallest age group, apart from the 75-90-plus year olds.

The most numerous were the 50-54 age group. Part-time workers totalled 11,900 and self-employed around 9,200.