Large and small scale businesses in Australia now have an undermanned and overworked staff.

Results of the Sweeney Research survey shows 84 percent of employers in Australia and New Zealand claim they laid off too many workers during the height of the global financial crisis. The same percentage of employers also claim that their businesses now lack manpower.

Hudson, the leading recruitment firm in Australia, commissioned the survey early this year. The respondents include 605 employers and 1690 employees across Australia and neighboring New Zealand.

Hudson chief executive Mark Steyn said, “Almost two-thirds of employers and employees alike say their teams are under-resourced and 54 per cent of employees say the team they work in is now weaker.”

Steyn warns of a return to the severe skills shortages experienced in 2007. He stressed that out of the 58 percent of employers who wanted to keep the number of employees last quarter, only 53.7 percent remain in the third quarter.

The recruitment chief said, “Employers desperately need to bolster not only the size, but also the strength of their teams to bring their businesses back to a place where they can compete effectively in their markets and establish a solid foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.”