Nearly half of employers rely on migrants to fill vacancies

The number of companies relying on immigrant workers has soared, according to the Employers and Manufacturers Association annual survey of members.

The survey found 49 per cent of employers were using the immigration process to recruit staff, compared with 38 per cent in 2016 and just 27 per cent in 2015.

The trend was underpinned by increasing difficulty in recruiting staff.

The majority of employers (65 per cent) said there was, or would soon be, a skills shortage in their industry.

A similar majority — 61 per cent — also said they were finding it difficult or very difficult to recruit staff, up 8 per cent on last year.

Seventy-two per cent are finding it difficult or very difficult to recruit for skilled positions — roughly the same result as the previous survey.

“Across everything from window washers to microchip makers, it’s everywhere you go,” said EMA chief executive Kim Campbell. “And it’s whether you go to Putaruru or central Auckland.”

More than 420 employers in the upper North Island responded to the survey.

The overall outlook had darkened since last year.

About half (48 per cent) expected overall business conditions to stay the same in 2018, while 28 per cent expected conditions to worsen.

Only 24 per cent expected business conditions to improve.

Last year the survey found 47 per cent of businesses expected conditions to improve and 4 per cent expected them to worsen.

There was also a decrease in confidence about their own operations.

Fifty-six per cent expected their business to grow over 2018, compared with 68 per cent a year ago.

The fall in confidence was not surprising given that the survey was taken in the immediate aftermath of the election, Campbell said.

“One wonders what will happen after we’ve seen more clarity, because people are just filling in the dots. It isn’t just the uncertainty about policy but there is uncertainty of the coalition, they’ve never seen this before.”

Immigration and employment policy were big issues but Campbell said there were signs the Government was moving cautiously.

Eighty per cent of respondents said they had used the 90-day trial periods when hiring staff — something Labour has said it will repeal.