In real terms, this salary rise equated to an additional £1,754 for workers in the industry, with average salaries jumping from £27,751 in February 2018, to £30,801 in February 2019. However, the sector saw a substantial decline in the number of vacancies available, with 19.4% less jobs being advertised compared to last year.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “The long-term consequences of Brexit are potentially devastating for the hospitality industry, as EU citizens make up a sizeable number of the hospitality workforce. However, the hospitality industry is showing few signs of weakening and with the value of sterling still being lower than it was before the referendum, tourists are seizing the opportunity to spend in this sector as UK holidays are more affordable.
“Moreover, although salaries have risen in the hospitality industry, job vacancies have declined. With Brexit diminishing the supply of cheap labour from the EU, industry leaders are realising that they need to attract and retain talented members of their own staff. If they’re able to get this right, the negatives of Brexit will be minimised.”
However, CV-Library data found that applications for new hospitality roles decreased by 15.3% last month, potentially putting the sector’s employers in a very compromising position. There are ‘mass talent shortages’ across the country and EU net migration is at the lowest it’s been in 10 years.
Biggins continued: “Many employees are nervous about the safety of their jobs right now and we’re seeing a significant slowdown in the amount of professionals looking for work in the sector. That said, employers are clearly receptive to this and have pushed up their pay packets to attract and retain the very best workers.”