41 percent of American employers are struggling to fill vacancies because of a lack of available skills. Sales representatives, teachers and mechanics are among America’s most sought-after workers.
Jonas Prising, President of Manpower North America, the company that carried out the survey of more than 2,400 American employers, commented:
“With the variety of positions employers are struggling to fill, it seems like job seekers should have little trouble finding work. Yet on a daily basis we hear from clients who can’t find the right people for open positions and candidates who are struggling to get hired. The reality is that the talent crunch is more complex than a shortage of people. To bridge the talent gap, we must dig deeper and consider issues such as skill levels, geographic dispersion and demographics.”
Sales representatives topped the list of hardest-to-fill jobs for the second year in a row. Teachers and mechanics replaced engineers and healthcare workers in the second and third-place positions this year.
“Even though some jobs fell off the top 10 list, demand for these positions still exists,” said Prising. “We know that employers are attempting to manage their talent requirements through a variety of strategies, including outsourcing, offshoring and technology, due to the fact that the pressure to meet production and financial goals remains despite talent shortages.”
The 10 hardest-to-fill jobs are:
- Sales representative
- Teacher
- Mechanic
- Technician
- Management/executive
- Truck driver
- Driver/delivery
- Accountant
- Laborer
- Machine operator
As employers balance efficiency strategies with the growing difficulty of hiring the right people, many are changing their approach to hiring and retention, according to Melanie Holmes, Manpower Vice President of Corporate Affairs – North America.
“Employers are seeing more and more rejected job offers, creating a healthy competition as companies vie for top talent. As a result of this, employers are revising policies and enhancing benefits in areas as common as flexible scheduling to non-traditional offerings like take-home meals and onsite yoga classes. We anticipate more and increasingly creative cultural changes as companies take the steps necessary to distinguish themselves in the eyes of employees,” said Holmes.