Isle of Skye tourism, economy suffer due to lack of affordable housing

Jobs on the idyllic Isle of Skye, which is popular with tourists, are going unfilled because workers cannot afford accommodation, new research has found.

Some 1,700 jobs are currently vacant on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, in the U.K., due to workers being unable to secure affordable accommodation, according to a new study commissioned by SkyeConnect, Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highland Council.

More than two in five firms on the remote island have reported difficulties in hiring employees, with 89 percent of businesses that have five or more staff now struggling to recruit.

Around a third of employers have had job offers turned down, with lack of accommodation reported as a factor in half of these cases.

The hospitality industry on the island has been particularly hit by the island’s housing crisis, with chefs and housekeepers among the posts hardest to fill.

Skye is one of the Inner Hebrides islands off the west coast of Scotland, and is known for having a significant number of Gaelic-speakers.

Transport and health jobs have also been impacted—roles with salaries of £30,000 ($35,500) or less are most likely to remain vacant.

The report found housing shortages are having a direct impact on the local economy with many businesses forced to reduce services or choosing not to invest anymore.

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