Jonathan Leggett from Thirroul's Wilde Cafe and Pickled Poet has had six positions listed for the last two months and has struggled to fill them.

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"It's a mix of not having international workers and ... ones who have left the industry and found other things," Mr Leggett said.

He said it was "sheer luck" he was able to find two apprentice chefs but still needed another qualified chef and had found many contacts he had approached had changed careers during the pandemic.

Mr Leggett said customers may not be as forgiving as they have the perspective everything was back to normal.

Anthony Moss of Kiama's Encore Wine Bar and Grill has also struggled to find a new head chef since Greater Sydney came out of lockdown.

"The staff shortage is perilous and could send some business to the wall and there is no quick fix to this," he said.

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After fracturing his foot last week, Mr Moss chose to close his business for several days rather than risk negative reviews from customers due to inexperienced staff.

He said chefs were now asking for above award wages while the pandemic had also pushed prices up for goods and services, which would eventually be passed on to the customer.

In the 14 days to Tuesday, there had been 203 hospitality and tourism jobs listed on Seek for the Illawarra and South Coast.

According to Business Illawarra, more than 40 per cent of Illawarra businesses surveyed reported experiencing skills shortages in September, while it was more than 50 per cent in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven.

Executive director Adam Zarth expects these statistics to worsen now lockdown has ended.

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