There are plenty of people looking for work, but many lack the qualifications to take up the available positions, and that is causing headaches for owners and managers.

According to the latest set of data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, vacancy rates skyrocketed from August to November last year, going up 18.5 per cent.

That's a change of 61,900 nation-wide, and is 74.2 per cent higher than in February 2020.

Industry experts have said there are a number of other factors which are contributing to those statistics.

"There are lots of reasons positions are being advertised but not being filled, with COVID people are looking for more casual staff," Tamworth Business Chamber president Stephanie Cameron said.

"COVID has prompted some people to change their employment and the jobs that they work, some people have decided to cut back on their hours."

"And I think with the current construction and development boom across the Tamworth region, industries are crying out and there's not enough people out there to meet the demand."

Another industry which is feeling the effects of the worker shortage is the hospitality sector.

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Between needing a large and dynamic workforce to help stay afloat during the Omicron outbreak, and seeking experienced or at least trained staff to fill key positions, some outlets are struggling.

Chief executive of Wests Entertainment Group, Rod Laing, said skilled workers are hard to come by in the current climate.

"It's particularly positions such as cooks and chefs, there's a bit of reluctance there," he said.

"That's got a little bit to do with COVID and the volatile nature of the hospitality industry over recent months.

"We were probably looking earlier than that [November], and we're still looking today as well.

"In that November and December period there was a fair bit of confidence that came back into hospitality as far as diners, guests and entertainment goes."

He said things had fallen a little bit flat since the Omicron outbreak reached the region, but he has enough confidence in things returning to normal over the next couple of months that the vacant positions are still being advertised.

His optimism is not being broadly shared however, with Business NSW revealing on Monday that confidence has plummeted in the wake of the latest coronavirus surge.

According to a survey, which was answered by more than 2000 businesses across a variety of industries, both rural and metropolitan businesses are concerned by the lack of consumer confidence.

Their worries are different to in the past, when the main concern was around government restrictions, as this time it's the public's cautiousness that is setting off alarm bells.

The survey found 40 per cent of businesses don't have enough cashflow to get them through the next three months, as fewer shoppers and staff shortages put already struggling outlets in a stranglehold.

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