Annual staffing survey shows needs in skilled manual trades

According to a news release, skilled manual trades, sales representatives and technicians (defined as technical workers in production/operations, engineering and maintenance) are the three jobs employers are having the hardest time filling.

Manpower surveyed nearly 43,000 employers across 32 countries and territories – including for the first time in the Czech Republic, Greece, Guatemala, Poland and Romania – to gauge workplace needs.

“This year, the most significant finding in our survey is that the percentage of employers in the Americas having trouble filling positions has dropped more than half compared to last year,” said Manpower Chairman and CEO Jeffrey A. Joerres in a news release. “This dramatic decrease is a reflection of the recent downturn in the U.S. economy. However, the talent crunch is still a very real concern, and employers need to continue their diligence in developing their employer brands and honing their talent strategies during 2008.”

The survey revealed an increase in employer demand for information technology staff as these jobs have resurfaced on the list of the Top 10 most difficult to fill jobs, after falling off in 2007. This is also the case for administrative assistants and management/executive staff. Skilled manual trades topped the list this year, surpassing sales representatives, which were No. 1 last year.

“Once again this year, we see managers and executives climb higher on the Top 10 most difficult jobs to fill list globally. Finding skilled and experienced management is always a struggle. This is especially evident in China, where managers and executives are tied with sales representatives for the second most difficult jobs to fill,” Joerres said.

The survey’s release coincided with the publication of the Manpower White Paper, “Confronting the Crunch: 2008.” The white paper highlights the growing talent shortages around the world and what businesses, governments and individuals should do to adapt their human resource strategies.

“There is no magic formula; employers and governments must continue to look for new ways of, recruiting, training, managing and retaining their current employees,” Joerres said. The full survey is available at www.manpower.com/researchcenter.

Help Wanted

The Top 10 jobs that employers are having difficulty filling in 2008 compared to 2007 are (ranked in order):

2008 Jobs

1. Skilled manual trades

2. Sales representatives

3. Technicians

4. Engineers

5. Management/executives

6. Laborers

7. Administrative assistants/PAs

8. Drivers

9. Accounting and finance staff

10. Information technology staff

2007 Jobs

1. Sales representatives

2. Skilled manual trades

3. Technicians

4. Engineers

5. Accounting and finance staff

6. Laborers

7. Production operators

8. Drivers

9. Management/executives

10. Machinists/operators

Source: Manpower Inc.[[In-content Ad]]