Employment stays static

While staffing levels in independent pubs haven't altered since the last survey, the number of licensees experiencing problems in retaining staff has grown significantly since last year

On average, independent pubs employ three full-time staff and seven part-time, which is the same as in 2004.

Unsurprisingly, town-centre and country pubs employ far more staff than community or other pubs, and the number of employed increases with turnover.

Nearly one third of pubs do not employ full-time staff, particularly venues with a turnover of £200,000 or less.

In fact, 4% of pubs mainly those with the very smallest turnovers employ no outside staff at all, relying entirely on the freeholder plus their partner.

Of those employing staff, 22% say they find it difficult to retain staff (17% of all pubs gave this answer in 2004), and 55% find if difficult to recruit (down from 64% in 2004), with country pubs especially having a problem.

When asked who does their stocktaking, the largest proportion (45%) of respondents said it was themselves or their partner, up from 39% in 2004 3% say they do not do it at all.

Town-centre and the largest pubs are the least likely to do the stocktaking themselves and have a greater reliance on independent firms. Seventeen per cent use business advisers for some aspect of their business (down from 23% in 2004).

The importance of the internet has grown slightly in the last year with 47% (up 9% from 2004) using it in their business.

Ordering stock seems to be the most common use as well as for promoting their pub, particularly on the accommodation-front.