Employers say the most difficult jobs to fill are sales representative, teacher, and mechanic, according to a survey by Manpower, Inc.
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Get Your Report Now!The survey found that 41 percent of U.S. employers reported having difficulty filling open positions because of a lack of available talent, down slightly from 44 percent in 2006. However, the firm notes that an important consideration is that this decline coincides with a gradual decrease in overall hiring sentiment, and does not necessarily point toward an easing of the talent shortage.
"With the variety of positions employers are struggling to fill, it seems like job seekers should have little trouble finding work," said Jonas Prising, president of Manpower North America. "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."
Employers said the following ten jobs are the most difficult to fill. The numbers in parentheses are where the jobs were ranked in last year's survey:
- Sales representative (1)
- Teacher
- Mechanic
- Technician (4)
- Management/executive (10)
- Truck driver (7)
- Driver/delivery (7)
- Accountant (5)
- Laborer
- Machine operator
"Even though some jobs fell off the top 10 list, demand for these positions still exists," says 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."