Donegal shops struggling to recruit staff blame Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Reports of serious recruitment difficulties across some sectors
Businesses in south Donegal are reporting a difficulty in recruiting staff because people are better off on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
The issue was raised at the May meeting of the Municipal District of Donegal which took place online on Tuesday.
Cllr Niamh Kennedy (Ind) reported that the matter had been brought to her attention by some local business owners.
Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) said this had also been his experience, particularly in relation to people who worked a few days per week in hotels.
“Those people who were working a few days, they are the people we really rely on,” he said.
“And we are hearing shops talking about having to curtail opening hours because they can’t get staff.”
Cllr Naughton added that the start-stop system of lockdown which hit the hospitality sector particularly hard had led to people looking for work in other sectors.
“We have lost some valuable people from the industry,” he said.