The latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook from the BCC Insight Unit found 54% of firms had tried to recruit between August and September, with 75% facing difficulties.
Just under half (48%) of businesses said they expected all working days to be in-person over the next 12 months.
BCC said ministers should set a target to bring the number of young people NEETs down to levels of the Netherlands.
Jane Gratton, deputy director of public policy at the BCC, highlighted that the labour market remains a major source of strain for companies across the country.