This was raised by Greater Hume Councillors as the latest report on the COVID-19 impact on the shire was presented.

Cr Tony Quinn suggested Council consider making representation on the issue in the new year.

"There's a lot of organisations that are getting together, trying to figure out what problems the country's going to have down the track, particularly industries who find it exceptionally hard to employ people now," he said.

"It is a very big problem."

General manager Steven Pinnuck said council would have to do more homework on the issue.

"Anecdotally ... we seem to be getting some feedback that it's difficult to recruit into certain industries at the moment because of it," he said.

Cr Lea Parker supported Cr Quinn's idea about representation to state and federal governments.

"I did notice today [NSW Deputy Premier] John Barilaro was making an announcement in regards to school leavers and an incentive for them to go work in regional Australia and work for primary industries," she said.

"That's welcome, but it is extremely hard for a business owner who employs a lot of people to get workers.

"They just don't want to work, they don't have to, that's the problem."

The link between JobSeeker/Keeper and a lack of applications to job vacancies has been drawn by businesses from Lavington to Yarrawonga, anecdotally.

It comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics said today one in five (21 per cent) of businesses reported that they were having difficulty finding suitably skilled or qualified staff.

ABS Head of Industry Statistics John Shepherd said the latest Business Impacts of COVID-19 Survey showed businesses are facing skills shortages.

"Businesses reported having difficulty finding suitably skilled tradespersons, hospitality workers and STEM professionals," he said.

"Other in demand jobs included labourers, drivers and managers."

"Almost one in six (15 per cent) employing businesses reported that, based on current operations, they did not have a sufficient number of employees."

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The latest release also includes information about future workforce actions businesses plan to take.

"Two thirds (65 per cent) of medium and large businesses plan to employ new staff over the next three months and around half of medium (49 per cent) and large (52 per cent) businesses expect to re-train or upskill existing staff to fill skills gaps," Mr Shepherd said.

Areas of shortage are sales workers, tradespersons, hospitality workers, cleaners, care workers, plant operators, managers, education professionals and other professionals.