Business leader welcomes job licensing reforms

Reforms to permits granted for licensed work are a "significant step" which could help ease recruitment challenges, a business leader has said.

The Jersey Chamber of Commerce said updated business licensing and employee status guidance could help the island's "constrained" labour market, especially in "extremely difficult" to fill roles.

The changes mean an employer would be able to get a licence for a job with a salary of £54,000, while those on lower salaries could request a licensed permission.

President Lee Madden, who runs a recruitment firm, said: "If Jersey is to maintain the services and standards the community expects, employers must be able to secure the right people."

He said the updates gave "clarity and workable options for businesses, especially in areas where skills are scarce", adding the reforms "recognise the recruitment pressures our members have raised and offer a more realistic framework for managing the island's workforce needs."

He said the guidance was "clearer and more transparent" and welcomed the broader availability of licensed and licensed lease-only permissions for roles where there was a skills shortage, including jobs with lower wages.

The chamber of commerce boss also welcomed streamlined application forms and reduced minimum hours for licensed permissions.

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