‘Brexit makes it hard to find staff’

The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union isn’t making things easier for British ecommerce companies. After last year’s Brexit vote, some online retailers say it’s now harder to hire staff for their warehouses.

One of the online retail companies in the UK who is suffering from Brexit, is  Everything5Pounds. The COO of this pure player, Robert Kulawik tells Business Insider it’s “very difficult” to hire staff for its warehouse, that’s located in Essex.

Brexit scared European migrants from coming

“I’d hire 100 people today if you’ve got them”, he says. “There is not sufficient labor around… The fact that Brexit is a yes scared a lot of European migrants from coming.” The seven-year old fashion retailer holds all its stock in a warehouse in Essex and is now recruiting totally British. “What I’m finding is recruitment is really difficult.”

Another British retailer, department store Morley’s, isn’t suffering as badly as Everything5Pounds, but still, managing director David Hordle said vacancies were remaining open longer than they were used to.

Last month, The Independent also wrote that employers in the UK are facing ever more difficulties in recruiting staff due to Brexit. A survey showed that the availability of workers suffered its biggest fall in a year and a half in July.

‘Must make it easier for employers’

“We can’t ignore the importance of our relationship with the EU to employers”, says Kevin Green, chief executive of Recruitment & Employment Confederation. “If we want to keep our jobs market successful and vibrant, we must make it easier, not harder, for employers to access the people they need.”