Why is there a Labour Shortage?

P

Purple

Registered User
Messages
14,039
This article suggests that it is down to people working fewer hours. Within the Eurozone the reduction in average hours worked equates to 3.8 million fewer people working, or 3.8 million people extra working with no net increase in total hours worked. The fact that there is a higher proportion of women in the workforce and women work fewer hours is a compounding factor but the reduction in total hours worked applies to both men and women.
I looked at where I work and our average hours worked have reduced by over 20% in the last 6 years. Out total headcount had also reduced by 25% but that's mainly due to restructuring and automation and our output had increased significantly over that period. In the services sector and in inefficient labour heavy sectors such as Healthcare this must be having a significant impact. 25% of the employees work part time but how much overtime do the rest work? While overall employee levels are increasing significantly are the total number of hours worked increasing? Given that women work fewer hours than men and around 80% of HSE are women are they less likely to work overtime?

The same applies in construction; Traditionally construction workers did significant overtime but has that changed? There is far less data on that then for the HSE, for understandable reasons. The Government says it was 159,300 in Q2 2022. The Construction Industry Federation says it was 170,000 in 2022. Around 8% are female but the proportion who work on site is far lower.

The data from the this report from the CSO shows that the total hours worked in both construction and healthcare have increased in the last 2 years so it the Eurozone trend applicable here?
 
A few things I have noticed, especially since COVID, which resulted in many ppl taking the opportunity to reevaluate their lives.
- lack of childcare places is having a massive effect
- high taxation is punishing, high taxation & childcare costs is very punishing.
- I see a lot of self employed individuals scaling back considerably. Reasons given that having employees are stressful and again taxation is too high.
- there has been a significant shift in the age of first employment by 6/7 years. From 16 to early twenties over the last 20/30 years (if I remember the article correctly). Due to additional employment regulation, culture and susi loan restrictions we have removed a significant youth cohort from employment.
 
i think, anecdotally, there are too many companies trying to spread themselves too thin. Because of this, there aren't enough people to do all the jobs that are needed. I think we are needing another industrial revolution/computerisation moment to increase productivity to more sustainable levels.

Look at healthcare - not enough nurses/doctors/staff available to fill post
teaching - same problem.
Private companies- how many are running on fumes (staff wise)? Lots of unpaid overtime is propping up these companies.
 
daheff said:
i think, anecdotally, there are too many companies trying to spread themselves too thin. Because of this, there aren't enough people to do all the jobs that are needed. I think we are needing another industrial revolution/computerisation moment to increase productivity to more sustainable levels.
Click to expand...
We're in the middle of it.
daheff said:
Look at healthcare - not enough nurses/doctors/staff available to fill post
Click to expand...
Women generally work fewer hours than men so as the healthcare sector becomes more female dominated we need more people to get the same hourly output. A large proportion of nurses work part time. Page 43 of http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/our-workforce/workforce-reporting/health-service-employment-report-jan-2021.pdf (this report)gives the breakdown. That's down to high childcare costs, high marginal income tax rates and a relatively wealthy older group who have the luxury of being able to make work life choices. That, along massively increasing demand coupled with gross structural inefficiency and people with an abundance of medical and healthcare skills and experience being promoted into management roles for which they are unskilled, untrained and unsuited makes healthcare a particularly difficult sector to staff globally.
daheff said:
teaching - same problem.
Click to expand...
Same cause.

daheff said:
Private companies- how many are running on fumes (staff wise)? Lots of unpaid overtime is propping up these companies.
Click to expand...
People, both men and women, are generally working fewer hours than they were pre-pandemic. That's the problem. Sectors where there was a problem before are worse now.
 
Last edited:
MrEarl said:
We need to loosen up the rules with regards to allowing foreign students and asylum seekers work.

We also need to tackle the long term problem, with regards to those claiming long term unemployment benefits, as some could certainly work.
Click to expand...

Maybe foreign students...but really they will only work in service or entry level jobs. Asylum seekers should only be allowed work once they've been granted asylum.....but thats a whole other conversation.
 
daheff said:
Maybe foreign students...but really they will only work in service or entry level jobs. Asylum seekers should only be allowed work once they've been granted asylum.....but thats a whole other conversation.
Click to expand...
They are already allowed to work when they've been here a few months. Who do you think cleans the excrement off the old people in care homes, work as home helps and does all the jobs Irish people won't do?
 
Purple said:
They are already allowed to work when they've been here a few months. Who do you think cleans the excrement off the old people in care homes, work as home helps and does all the jobs Irish people won't do?
Click to expand...
They are mostly on work permits predominantly from Brazil and the Philippines, that's completely separate to the asylum system, I know the government love to conflate the two . Most asylum seekers end up in low level roles in hospitality as that's where they have the connections, I bet very few are working in construction building houses or as nurses or doctors because they can get a work visa for that
 
joe sod said:
They are mostly on work permits predominantly from Brazil and the Philippines, that's completely separate to the asylum system, I know the government love to conflate the two . Most asylum seekers end up in low level roles in hospitality as that's where they have the connections, I bet very few are working in construction building houses or as nurses or doctors because they can get a work visa for that
Click to expand...
I know of a few who are working in nursing homes and my neighbours carer is an asylum seeker from Nigeria. A lovely lady.

They can work anywhere that will hire them as long as they have a work permit. They can apply for that after 5 months.

From http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://emn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EMN-Ireland-Labour-Market-Integration-of-International-Protection-Applicants-in-Ireland.pdf (this report);
With regard to the job titles of international protection applicants in Ireland, the most common job title is general operative, which is a job title in a variety of sectors but typically used in factories/warehouses. The second most common reported job title is healthcare assistant, followed by kitchen porter and cleaner.
 
Last edited:
Having to wait five months is insane - anyone who wants to work, contribute to the economy and better themselves, should be allowed to do so, without a five month delay.
 
MrEarl said:
Having to wait five months is insane - anyone who wants to work, contribute to the economy and better themselves, should be allowed to do so, without a five month delay.
Click to expand...
They have to be processed and, I presume, issued with a PPS number. Those two steps will take months.
 
MrEarl said:
... But they shouldn't!
Click to expand...
On the list of things the State Sector provides that take too long and are inefficient this is well down the page. Why would anyone think that this bit would be done efficiently when so many other things are done badly?
 
Protocol said:
I suspect it is difficult to issue a PPSN to a person who has deliberately destroyed their travel documents, and withheld information on their identity.
Click to expand...
It would be very simple to authorise someone to work in the PAYE sector, if anyone was of a mind to change things. Instead, we have the usual nonsense....and there is only one way that will change... if we force it to change, instead of almost accepting it, as you appear to (and I hope you are able to tell me that I'm wrong!)

There are elections coming ;-)
 
Protocol said:
I suspect it is difficult to issue a PPSN to a person who has deliberately destroyed their travel documents, and withheld information on their identity.
Click to expand...
Those people should not be processed at all. They should be held in detention centres until they can produce their documents. If they can't produce them they should not be let out. Ever. Nobody, absolutely nobody, should be eligible for an IPO application if they do not have a passport or identity card.
 
Purple said:
Those people should not be processed at all. They should be held in detention centres until they can produce their documents. If they can't produce them they should not be let out. Ever. Nobody, absolutely nobody, should be eligible for an IPO application if they do not have a passport or identity card.
Click to expand...

IPO should not prevent someone from being able to work, with tax deducted at source - permitting someone to work in the PAYE sector benefits everyone.

That aside, I don't agree with your suggested indefinite detention, which just creates a burden on the state, but that's for a different thread.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top