Staff shortage: Ireland’s retail sector is in crisis
DUBLIN: The shortage of retail employees is adversely affecting the operations of this sector. Three months have passed since the country reopened, and retailers around the country are still struggling to find workers. Staff shortages are more likely to be an issue in urban areas, larger locations, shopping malls, and major city locations.
Almost 300,000 workers were employed in the retail sector before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. But now it has become difficult for shop owners to get employees. The retail sector in Ireland reopened on May 17th.
According to the head of Retail Excellence, Duncan Graham, several employees who were not originally from Ireland have decided to leave the country, while others have found other jobs. Mr Graham believes that young people have gone into further education.
At the same time, Mr Graham said, there is a contradiction that 25,000 people still claim Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). He pointed out that a good percentage of them are in the retail-wholesale sector. “That is still a significant number of the 280,000 who have previously been employed in retail,” he said.
Rent arrears remain a big issue
With the reopening of the sector, Mr Graham said some landlords are putting pressure on retailers over rent. Commercial rent arrears continue to be “a big issue and some of this will ultimately end up in the courts”, he said.
The most common agreement made between Retail Excellence members and landlords is for shops to get 50% off the agreed rent for the periods they were forced to close.
“It is challenging, it is being worked through at this moment in time, but there could still very well be store closures to come before the year is out,” Mr Graham said.
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