Aerospace industry grounded by lost jobs and lack of staff
A combination of coronavirus pandemic-enforced lay-offs, staff career changes, and pent-up demand for travel is posing a huge resourcing challenge to the commercial aviation industry — at a time when its finances remain under strain. An analysis by Oxford Economics, in conjunction with aviation trade bodies, shows that 2.3mn jobs have been lost across airlines, airports and civil aerospace groups since the outbreak of Covid-19 — a 21 per cent reduction compared with pre-pandemic levels. But with millions of people suddenly eager to travel again as lockdown restrictions ease globally, companies are having to rush to recruit new staff. After laying off 10,000 employees, IAG-owned British Airways is recruiting 3,000 cabin crew. Meanwhile, global airport operator Swissport wants to hire 30,000 workers, having lost 20,000 staff in an effort to slash costs when the pandemic hit. While these shortfalls remain, however, many companies are struggling to cope. In May, the UK union Unite warned of “chronic staff shortages” across the aviation industry and said employers would pay “the price of mass sackings during the pandemic”. Aerospace headhunter Emma Robinson explains that it is not simply a case of rehiring. “The biggest issue facing the aviation industry at the moment is a lack of staff: they’ve lost the workforce during Covid, and they have not returned.” Robinson points out that many aviation workers were on low or minimum wage levels before the pandemic and have since found themselves “better off” in alternative jobs requiring a similar level of skills. “They might still have a lack of job satisfaction in their new role, but they work more social hours and have a better work-life balance,” she notes. Aviation job locations can also deter candidates, post-Covid. “People don’t want to commute like they used to,” says Robinson, “meaning that, if a job can’t be done remotely, there is now a limited pool of people who live in the area that may be suitable.”<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-07-21/general/aerospace-industry-grounded-by-lost-jobs-and-lack-of-staff
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Aerospace industry grounded by lost jobs and lack of staff
A combination of coronavirus pandemic-enforced lay-offs, staff career changes, and pent-up demand for travel is posing a huge resourcing challenge to the commercial aviation industry — at a time when its finances remain under strain. An analysis by Oxford Economics, in conjunction with aviation trade bodies, shows that 2.3mn jobs have been lost across airlines, airports and civil aerospace groups since the outbreak of Covid-19 — a 21 per cent reduction compared with pre-pandemic levels. But with millions of people suddenly eager to travel again as lockdown restrictions ease globally, companies are having to rush to recruit new staff. After laying off 10,000 employees, IAG-owned British Airways is recruiting 3,000 cabin crew. Meanwhile, global airport operator Swissport wants to hire 30,000 workers, having lost 20,000 staff in an effort to slash costs when the pandemic hit. While these shortfalls remain, however, many companies are struggling to cope. In May, the UK union Unite warned of “chronic staff shortages” across the aviation industry and said employers would pay “the price of mass sackings during the pandemic”. Aerospace headhunter Emma Robinson explains that it is not simply a case of rehiring. “The biggest issue facing the aviation industry at the moment is a lack of staff: they’ve lost the workforce during Covid, and they have not returned.” Robinson points out that many aviation workers were on low or minimum wage levels before the pandemic and have since found themselves “better off” in alternative jobs requiring a similar level of skills. “They might still have a lack of job satisfaction in their new role, but they work more social hours and have a better work-life balance,” she notes. Aviation job locations can also deter candidates, post-Covid. “People don’t want to commute like they used to,” says Robinson, “meaning that, if a job can’t be done remotely, there is now a limited pool of people who live in the area that may be suitable.”<br/>
