Could our skilled worker shortage hold back our economic recovery?

NZIER's latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion finds business confidence has risen, with more firms hiring or looking to hire more staff.

Numbers of Kiwis moving offshore surged during last year's downturn.

Business Desk's Garth Bray says businesses may now struggle to fill roles, as things pick up.

He says there's a potential for a shorter, shallower recovery, if capacity constraints bite quickly.