I advertised a $130,000 job and received more than 140 applications… the position is still open because of an infuriating reason
Clayton Wright, 66, who owns Wrights The Butchers in Alexandria, Sydney, warned Australia is facing a shortage of young tradespeople.
He said it adds to the pressures of rising wages, superannuation costs, and broader cost-of-living challenges for businesses.
'We have had a decades-long drain on people that have not picked up the trade. This is what we're suffering now,' he told news.com.au.
He said he is desperate for staff and has enough work to double his current headcount.
Despite spending $1,100 a month advertising the position online, the fourth-generation butcher said he had not attracted an application from a qualified butcher.
Mr Wright said the 140 applicants were all from overseas.
He claimed they were candidates with little experience, hailing from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South America.
Mr Wright believed they were seeking sponsorships to work in Australia, but said there was no one available to train them.
'This happened years ago in the chef industry, where chef was an easy entry into Australia so all these people came and did a chef's course,' he said.
'The problem is that you have no butchers, so if you bring people in from overseas, you have no one to train them.'
Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter said Mr Wright was not alone in his struggles.
Mr Hunter said many business owners are repeatedly advertising for roles, but still unable to recruit.
'There are three things you can do: you grow your own talent through better vocational training and skills, you can utilise the people that are already here better, or you can increase skilled migration,' he said.
'If you do those three things, then you can certainly have a positive impact for businesses.'
Business NSW's 2024 State of Skills report revealed 28 per cent of employers had to make five or more attempts to fill a single role over the past year.
More than three-quarters, 77 per cent, said they had struggled to recruit or could not find suitable staff, while 80 per cent had lifted wages or improved conditions to attract workers.
The report also found 36 per cent of businesses had delayed expansion plans.
Twenty-seven per cent had lost business to competitors due to ongoing staffing shortages.
Mr Hunter said the skills shortage was particularly hard-hitting in the regions and trade industries.
Mr Wright blamed the increase, in part, on young Australians getting pushed into tertiary education instead of vocational studies.
The problem, he claimed, is not isolated to the meat industry.
However, he said many young people are put off by the low base award wages, which don't reflect the higher earning potential in the industry.
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