ManpowerGroup Releases Tenth Annual Talent Shortage Survey Results.
Tenth year of survey reveals 1 in 3 U.S. employers experiencing difficulty in filling positions, skilled trades remains the hardest to fill for six consecutive years.
ManpowerGroup’s annual Talent Shortage Survey, released today, reveals that 32% of U.S. employers report difficulties filling job vacancies due to talent shortages. This marks a decrease in 8%, falling from 40% in 2014. While the percentage may be decreasing the problem is still very real to Maine businesses.
Among U.S. employers, 48% acknowledge that talent shortages have a medium to high impact on their business, but few are putting talent strategies in place to address the problem. One in five U.S. employers is still not pursuing strategies to overcome talent shortages, despite the negative impact on their business. This is up from 12 months ago when 13% of U.S. employers reported they were not pursuing strategies to overcome talent shortages.
“Talent shortages are real and are not going away,” said Kip Wright, senior vice president, Manpower North America. “Despite impacts to competitiveness and productivity, our research shows fewer employers are trying to solve the problem through better talent strategies. As the struggle to find the right talent continues, and candidates with in-demand skills get the upper hand, employers will be under pressure to position themselves as ‘talent destinations’ to attract the best workers that will drive their business forward.”
For the sixth consecutive year, skilled trade vacancies are the hardest to fill in the U.S., and the same goes for the state of Maine. New to the list this year are administrative professionals, technicians, and management/executives.
| U.S. jobs most in demand in 2015 | U.S. jobs most in demand in 2014 |
| 1. Skilled trade workers | 1. Skilled trade workers |
| 2. Drivers | 2. Restaurant & hotel staff |
| 3. Teachers | 3. Sales representatives |
| 4. Sales Representatives | 4. Teachers |
| 5. Administrative professionals | 5. Drivers |
| 6. Management/Executives | 6. Accounting & finance staff |
| 7. Nurses | 7. Laborers |
| 8. Technicians | 8. IT staff |
| 9. Accounting & finance staff | 9. Engineers |
| 10. Engineers | 10. Nurses |
43% of U.S. employers say talent shortages are having a negative impact on their ability to meet client needs. Consequences include:
Reduced competitiveness and productivity (41%)
Increased employee turnover (32%)
Higher compensation costs (32%)
Reduced employee engagement/morale (32%)
When asked why they are struggling to fill certain jobs, employers cite a lack of applicants (33%), lack of experience (19%), and lack of technical competencies or hard skills (17%). Technical competencies employers seek include industry-specific professional qualifications (7%) and trade certifications (7%).
To download the complete report click here.
ManpowerGroup surveyed 42,278 employers in 42 countries and territories during the first quarter of 2015 to explore the extent of talent shortages within the global labor market, which job categories are particularly hard to fill and why, the impact of talent shortages on businesses, and how employers are responding to the challenges raised by the lack of available talent in specific job categories.
For more information on ManpowerGroup and the talent shortage visit:
www.manpowergroup.us/campaigns/talent-shortage-2015
