Survey Shows A Talent Shortage In The Workforce

Manpower Inc. reported in its “2009 Talent Shortage Survey”, that manufacturing-related occupations including skilled trades, technicians and engineers rank among the top five positions that employers are having the most difficulty filling, according to Industry Week.

Manpower surveyed nearly 39,000 employers across 33 countries and territories in late January to determine the extent in which talent shortages are impacting today’s labor markets. U.S.-based employers appear to be in a better position to locate talent than many other major markets. Of the U.S. employers surveyed, 19% said they had difficulty filling positions, a decline of 3% from the previous year.

Canada also reported a lower talent-shortage rate with 24% of employers saying they had trouble locating skilled workers in 2008 compared with 31% the year earlier. The lowest talent-shortage rates were reported in Ireland (5%), Spain (8%), United Kingdom (11%), China (15%) and the Czech Republic (17%).

The countries struggling the most with locating skilled workers include Taiwan (62%), Japan (55%), Australia (49%), Poland (48%) and Mexico (44%).