All of Europe is desperate for more lorry drivers

Firms across Europe are struggling to find workers to operate their ​​vans, lorries and tankers. Drivers are getting older, more are retiring, and younger ones are put off by difficult conditions. Without drivers, supply chains are getting stretched. Motorists in Britain have been queueing for hours at petrol stations. On September 25th the government said that it would issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers to help plug the gap. But with high demand across the continent, competition for drivers is fierce.

One sign of this is the number of job openings advertised. According to Indeed, a job-search website, daily listings for heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) drivers in Britain increased by 108% at their peak over the summer, compared with February 2020. Now they are 73% above pre-pandemic levels. In Germany, job listings have increased by 67%; in Spain they have jumped by 95%; and in Italy by 105% (see chart). Qualified European drivers have their pick of jobs across the continent. Brexit-related form-filling and tax tweaks will make the offer from Boris Johnson’s government of a short-term visa to Britain less appealing.