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Thousands of people are withdrawing their applications to join the armed forces due to six-month waiting lists.
Less than a tenth of the 137,000 people who applied to join the army, navy and RAF last year ended up serving, according to figures revealed by shadow defense secretary John Healey.
Since 2014, 1.1 million people have applied to join the armed forces, but the Ministry of Defense has only signed up 132,000.
The problem appears to be worse within the military, with 70 percent of potential recruits withdrawing their applications.
Thousands of people are withdrawing their applications to join the armed forces due to six-month waiting list
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Military chiefs are increasingly concerned about Britain’s ability to respond to global threats as the number of military veterans soars beyond recruitment rates.
Previous figures have shown that for every five people who join the armed forces, eight leave.
In January, the Royal Navy was faced with a severe shortage of sailors and was forced to decommission two warships in order to staff new frigates.
Latest figures show young people do want to join the armed forces but are not prepared to wait months to do so.
latest progress:
“Thousands of people willing to serve and defend their country have simply given up on their ambitions, while ministers have failed to address the issues,” he told The Times.
“The Tories have presided over 14 years of defense failure – missing their recruitment targets every year, hollowing out our armed forces and reducing the size of the British Army to its smallest size since Napoleon.”
A Whitehall source said Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was already working to improve recruitment processes and retention issues.
A source said: “The latest figures show an increase in interest and applications across the board and we need to do everything we can to translate this.”
Military chiefs increasingly concerned about UK’s ability to deal with global threats
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They added that Labor was “shouting from the sidelines without putting forward any semblance of a reasonable plan”.
Kevin Jones, who served as defense secretary under Gordon Brown, expressed concern and called for a “complete revolution” in recruitment.
Kruger told a debate on defense spending: “I understand the Public Accounts Committee heard that for every five people who join the army, eight leave.
“This is a national security crisis, this is not just a recruitment issue, this is absolutely a profound security risk.”
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