Over half of Dublin businesses believe staff retention and recruitment will be their biggest challenge next year, according to a new survey by Dublin Chamber.
Just 15% expect stricter Covid-19 regulations to be their top issue, while just 12% said managing flexible and remote working would be the biggest concern.
Almost seven in ten businesses have seen an increase in staff turnover in the past six months according to the survey, which was carried out in the fourth quarter among more than 300 firms across the Greater Dublin Area.
Meanwhile, a similar percentage of businesses said they have struggled to recruit for a specific role in the past year.
Businesses also identified the availability of housing and labour as the top issues which would impact Dublin’s competitiveness next year.
45% of firms ranked housing availability as the number one issue impacting Dublin’s competitiveness in the year ahead.
This marks an increase from 39% in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Almost one in three businesses reported that the availability of skills and talent will be the biggest issue affecting Dublin's competitiveness, reflecting concerns about staff recruitment and retention at company level.
"These results strikingly confirm the widespread anecdotal reports of increased staff turnover and recruitment difficulties in recent months," said Aebhric Mc Gibney, Dublin Chamber's Director of Public & International Affairs.
"Businesses are experiencing serious staffing challenges and are expecting this problem to persist well into 2022.
"This likely reflects the international trend of a "Great Resignation" following Covid-19, but it cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic," he added.
