Skills shortage puts retail butchers on the chopping block

Key points

• A Noosa butcher, Steve Young, will stop serving walk-in customers in the coming weeks and close his retail shopfront because he cannot staff it. The shop has two butchers, where it would normally have four, plus two counter staff.
• Mr Young says he has spent about $15,000 on advertising in 18 months, yet many applicants do not attend interviews. Other Queensland butchers have closed recently, and some firms are recruiting from overseas.
• Mr Young says no workers will lose their jobs and that his wholesale business will continue.