News and Alerts

Today, ManpowerGroup announced the results of the 2018 annual Talent Shortage Survey. Now in its 12th year, the ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage research is the largest global human capital survey of its kind.

More employers than ever are struggling to fill open jobs – 45% globally say they can’t find the skills they need, up from 40% in 2017 and the highest in over a decade. For large organizations (250+ employees) it’s even higher, with 67% reporting talent shortages in 2018.

For the 6th consecutive year, skilled trades positions are the hardest to fill globally. This is followed by 2) Sales Representatives, 3) Engineers, 4) Drivers, 5) Technicians, 6) IT, 7) Accounting & Finance, 8) Professionals, 9) Office Support, and 10) Manufacturing. Though artificial intelligence is fast-expanding what can be automated, technology is redefining rather than replacing in-demand roles.

“We continue to see increasing demand for skilled workers across all sectors of the U.S. economy from transport and trade to manufacturing and sales,” said Becky Frankiewicz, President of ManpowerGroup North America. “Employers cannot find the people they need with the right blend of technical skills and human strengths and the problem won’t fix itself. It’s time for a new approach to attract, recruit and retain talent. Employers need to buy skills where necessary, borrow from external sources and help people with adjacent skills bridge from one role to another. Above all, we need to be builders of talent, rather than consumers of work to create a workforce with the skills companies and individuals need to thrive today and tomorrow.”

Why are employers having a hard time filling positions? Here’s what they reported:

• 29% said lack of applicants;
• 20% said lack of experience;
• 19% said applicants lack required hard skills (technical competencies);
• 12% said applicants expect higher pay than offered; and
• 8% said applicants lack required soft skills (workplace competencies).

The Talent Shortage Survey is one of ManpowerGroup’s most popular thought leadership campaigns, generating tremendous interest from media outlets, labor market experts, employers and job seekers.

To download the global report, click here. For more information about the 2018 Talent Shortage Survey, click here.

Source:  http://www.manpowergroup.us/campaigns/talent-shortage/.