Research released by the Regional Australia Institute shows there are 66,200 jobs available in regional towns and cities across the country, the largest number since records began 10 years ago.

Regional job vacancies now account for nearly one third of all vacancies across the country, with the Western NSW Region recording the strongest annual growth, with job ads up by 117 per cent in the year to March 2021.

Catherine Fitzsimons, president of the Bathurst Business Chamber, said she wasn't surprised by the data.

" (Chamber) members are saying is there is plenty of work around but no staff to fill the positions."

Ms Fitzsimons said the hospitality sector in particular is struggling.

"And it's not just Bathurst, it's other areas across the region.

"I was in Broken Hill last week talking to small business owners and they were desperate to get staff.

"They are the busiest they have ever been thanks to all the visitors, but they just can't get staff.

Ms Fitzsimons said it was the same story in Bathurst.

She said she knew one cafe had trouble getting a barista, when they found someone willing to relocate from Dubbo for the job, the person couldn't find rental accommodation in Bathurst to take the position.

MAKING NEWS:

Ms Fitzsimons said cafes in Bathurst are so short of staff, they are sharing staff with other businesses.

"The staff work at one cafe three days and then go to another cafe for three more days, they are having to work six days a week because there's not enough people."

Director of Macquarie Medi Spa, Karla McDiarmid, who has businesses in Bathurst and Orange said she literally can't get staff for either business.

"We have been advertising since August in both locations, we have tried Seek, word of mouth, social media and contacted our local TAFES with only one qualified resume coming in- who we hired.

"Everyone said once Jobkeeper and seeker ends they will flood in but not the case. We have had no interest at all.

"We are now offering to relocate potential employees and have had no interest apart from two resumes on Seek from the Philippines and one was not a beauty therapist, the other wrote limited English so neither were options," she said.

Ms McDiarmid said she believes the beauty industry lost a lot of the qualified staff as employers didn't know what to do in COVID.

"So we lost a lot of employees in the industry to other industry, especially carers / mental health and hospitality meaning the whole beauty and hair industry is desperate for staff.

Ms McDiarmid said she is hoping the backpackers may come back over when the borders reopen and an influx of Europeans wanting to move to Australia to fill back up the cafes and restaurants so people who do have qualifications will come back into the industries.

She also said the cash economy made it difficult for legitimate businesses to compete.

"We have had staff reduce hours as they get paid cash (in other industries) so it makes it really hard for us to keep staff we cannot compete with all of the cash industries," she said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: