In India, 81 per cent employers are finding it difficult to fill vacancies. Maximum challenge is being faced by employers in Japan, with 85 per cent of them finding it challenging to come by suitable talent. Germany, Greece and Israel follow with 82 per cent each. In Ireland and Portugal, 81 per cent employers are struggling to find talent, says the Manpower Group Employment Outlook Survey for Q1 of 2024.
According to the employers who participated in the survey, the top five skills that are most difficult to find are: information technology (IT) and data, followed by engineering; sales and marketing; operations and logistics; and manufacturing and production, in that order.
When it comes to jobs that require artificial intelligence (AI) skills , employers consider the top three challenges are: training the existing staff to leverage AI in their roles, followed by the finding qualified workers. The third biggest challenge is to define roles which can take advantage of AI.
Employers feel that all technical skills must change at least by 54 per cent so that more sustainable practices can be accommodated. The sustainability skills available presently are far from sufficient to actually go green.
Of the 40,077 employers from across 41 nations who were asked about their first quarter hiring intentions, hiring managers across the Asia Pacific countries anticipate the second strongest regional employment outlook (30 per cent). This is two per cent less than the previous quarter but five per cent more than what was reported during the same time last year.
Employers in North America report the strongest hiring intentions of 34 per cent, followed by the Asia Pacific with 30 per cent, South and Central Americas with 28 per cent, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with 23 per cent.
India and China report the strongest hiring outlook of 37 and 33 per cent, respectively. Japan and Taiwan are following great caution with only 10 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.
In the area of communication services, 73 per cent of organisations report difficulty finding suitable talent. Irrespective of the shortage, employers globally anticipate a net employment outlook of 31 per cent, which is the same as last quarter but 12 per cent more than the same time last year.
In the consumer goods and services space, 76 per cent of organisations report difficulty finding the talent they require. In spite of the dearth of talent, employers worldwide anticipate a net employment outlook of 22 per cent. This is three per cent less than the previous quarter but three per cent more than the same time last year.
When it comes to the energy and utilities space, supply for talent is less than demand, with 71 per cent of employers struggling to find suitable talent. Globally, employers are looking at a net employment outlook of 26 per cent, which is a drop of five per cent from the last quarter.
Demand for talent is more than the supply in the finance and real-estate sectors too, where 72 per cent of employers are finding it tough to obtain the right talent. Despite the dearth of talent, employers in this space, worldwide, anticipate a net employment outlook of 34 per cent, which is more than the previous quarter and also more than the same period last year.
In the healthcare and life sciences space, 77 per cent of organisations are struggline to fill vacancies. Employers in this space anticipate a net employment outlook of 28 per cent, which is a fall of three per cent from the previous quarter and an increase of five per cent compared to the same time period last year.
In the industrials and materials space again, demand for talent outweighs supply with 75 per cent of employers struggling to fill vacancies. In the information technology sector, 76 per cent of organisations report difficulty finding the talent they need. In the transport, logistics and automotive space too the story is no different. About 76 per cent employers report difficulty finding the required talent However, irrespective of this shortage, employers globally anticipate a net employment outlook of 26 per cent in this sector.
