UK job vacancies hit record high amid worker shortages

By PAN PYLAS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Job vacancies in the U.K. have risen to a record high of nearly 1.2 million. That’s a further sign that the British economy is experiencing worker shortages in an array of sectors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and Britain’s departure from the European Union. There have been weeks of long lines at gas stations and empty shelves at supermarkets. The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that shortages are visible across the whole economy including hospitality and transportation. It also found that the number of workers on payroll has risen above the level that existed before the coronavirus pandemic struck more than a year and a half ago.