Firms in the UK are having difficulty in recruiting staff, reports BBC with data from the British Chamber of Commerce. The BCC spoke to 7,300 businesses in the manufacturing and services sectors, and found the percentage seeking to hire had grown by up to 9% in the last quarter. While both sectors reported business growth in Q1 and improved profitability and turnover, 74% of manufacturing firms and 58% of services firms said they were struggling to find staff. As businesses deal with rising costs and an aging workforce, they are finding that they are not able to find enough people with the right skills. Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC, told the BBC, "Another emerging issue is whether firms can continue to get workers from overseas both in the run-up to, and after, Brexit. Industries like hospitality and construction are heavily dependent on EU workers."