More than 80 per cent of chief executives in Western Australia have rated the burgeoning labour shortage as a priority issue faced by companies, a new survey shows.
The Executive Connection (TEC) instant poll of 35 CEOs in WA confirmed that the labour crisis in Australia will deepen before the situation improves.
TEC WA coordinator John Cluer warned hundreds of businesses are confronted with productivity, cash flow and profitability problems as key resources sector projects continue to pressure the market.
"Addressing a deficit in leadership skill is a key priority for Australian businesses: we took that issue to our members and asked executives from 38 significant businesses in WA to rank the skills shortage on their list of concerns," he said.
"The majority response from 35 CEOs representing all sectors across WA has established the skills shortage as the priority issue.
"Our businesses are singing out loud and clear - the problem of sourcing, retaining and training people are not going to go away and the clear message is a need for better leadership."
TEC is a chief executive leadership group that has 14,500 members across 16 countries.
