This paper aims to provide insights into the recruitment and retention issues faced by employers in rural
areas. To this end, information gathered through interviews with employers and labour market
intermediaries in the predominantly rural county of Lincolnshire, UK was used as a source of data and
focal point to discuss the demand side of the labour market. A distinction is made between circumstances
in which there are hard-to-fill vacancies on the one hand, and the effects of an abundant labour
supply on the other. The factors that affect labour retention are also discussed, including situations in
which staff retention is a non-issue. Recognising the fact that economic life exists within, and is affected
by the social context, the views of employers and labour market intermediaries are also analysed in the
light of data from other sources. The paper concludes by suggesting that employers’ recruitment and
retention issues cannot be studied in isolation; the supply side as well as the demographic, economic,
and political context need to be considered as well.