A third of firms are struggling to access the workforce across the island, according to a new report from IntertradeIreland.
Data from the organisation, which helps small firms trade across the whole island, shows that 145 businesses are struggling to find people to fill long-term positions while some 55 businesses have short-term gaps in their companies.
Director of strategy Martin Robinson said there were a number of solutions for businesses including offering more flexibility to workers and using technology to fill skills gaps.
More than half of businesses struggling to access the workforce are increasing recruitment activity, the survey found.
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Some 46 per cent of companies said Brexit has had a large impact on how they operate. Yet, six out of 10 firms said they did not know anything about the Windsor Framework agreed in February 2023.
More than a quarter of companies surveyed saw sales rise in the second quarter of this year and one in three businesses forecast that sales will continue to rise over the next six months, the data showed.
The indicated that a third of companies are growing and over half of those asked are stable at present.
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