By 2022, six in 10 Highland employers were short-staffed, many having to cut hours, services or both – an all-too familiar situation in Caithness and Sutherland. For while Inverness’s population is fairly buoyant, many rural areas are seeing their populations both age and, particularly for younger people, decline. Highland Council’s secondary school roll forecasts for the 15 years from 2022-23 anticipate a 6.9 per cent decline across the Highlands as a whole and a frightening 18.8 per cent decline in Caithness and Sutherland. Well, in the short term the UK government could make it easier for employers to recruit overseas by, for example, including EU countries within its Youth Mobility Scheme, but this doesn’t solve population decline. Breaking down remoteness barriers, including transport and digital, and providing affordable accommodation for all are key, and that takes a lot of money.

Source: The Times February 24, 2024 15:00 UTC