As I sat to write this final editorial for 2022 I had no idea what I might write about – by definition an editor’s biggest fear is a blank piece of paper waiting for your next editorial!

Fortunately inspiration often comes from something that happens and today it was the morning news on the radio (1ZB) that reiterates a problem we have talked about previously – the great staffing crisis of 2022.

The causes are myriad, growing technology in new cars complicating repairs, a long period of not training enough new people for the industry, government clampdowns on immigration, staff leaving after Covid layoffs or technicians choosing different careers as they move through life.

The news story was about an Auckland panel beater that had made the decision to close their business due to their inability to get staff, allied with the crimp on profitability due to the amounts that insurance companies will pay for repairs, meaning higher wages were not a viable option. I am sure many automotive businesses are going through similar pain.

There is no easy fix in sight, the current government is not a fan of immigration, as they believe it drives down wages, but the alternative seems to be to hamper industries as diverse and hospitality, tourism, vehicle repair, agriculture and horticulture by cutting off their workforce lifeblood. The result is unpicked fruit rotting on the ground, restaurants with sections closed off or having to shut several days a week and bus companies having to cancel thousands of trips from timetables due to driver shortages. Further news today was the record low 3.3 percent unemployment rate. Take out those that are unemployable, and those in the numbers because they are between jobs but not likely to be unemployed for long, and there is pretty much no one available.

Merry Christmas to all our readers and families and hope you have a great Christmas and New Year break!

Cathy