A survey of local businesses is showing most of them are having a harder time finding workers in Greater Victoria.
Of the 250 of local businesses surveyed, 57 per cent said lack of affordable housing is reason they can't find workers.
Frank Bourree, owner of Chemistry Consulting Group Inc, the firm that did the study, says the effects are being felt all over.
“It is seriously having an economic impact on all businesses in this region. The tourism sector is getting hit hard, construction has been struggling and it’s going to slow down the pace of the economy for sure.”
The report says 78 per cent of businesses said they are having trouble filling entry level positions while 42 per cent have had trouble getting people into middle management and 24 per cent are having trouble attracting senior management.
Bourree is calling it a perfect storm of issues contributing with a doubling of short term rentals, the lowest unemployment rate in Canada and difficulty of travelling to the West Shore on a daily basis all affecting businesses negatively.