Staff retention is a problem: Mark Jenkins of Brakes

With the number of job vacancies in the UK hitting a record high*, pressure on the wholesale industry is “extreme”, according to Brakes’ supply chain & operations director Mark Jenkins (pictured).

He told BBC News that staff retention is a problem: “For every two people we hire, only one person stays because there are other jobs in the market.

“Wages have gone up by 15% to 20% in some parts of the business in order to attract the right kind of people. And on top of that we’re paying retention bonuses to hang on to the staff we do have,” he said.

“Everything is making it really difficult for us to service our customers.”

Jenkins highlighted the probable impact on the consumer: “Our suppliers are passing on costs, we’re passing some of those costs to our customers, and at the end of the day, the consumers will feel the pain.”

* Vacancies hit 1.1 million between July and September, the highest level since records began in 2001 (Office for National Statistics).