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Let’s admit that it’s ironic to talk about talent shortages in a recession. Unemployment is rising in America, though it’s still better than in Europe. But in Manpower’s annual survey of 43,000 employers in 32 countries, nearly one-third of the companies experience difficulties filling open positions.
Globally, that’s down by 10% in a year, clear evidence that there’s more supply in the talent markets. But in the US of A the situation is more worrisome: a year ago 62% of employers said they were having difficulty filling jobs and this year only 28% shared the same complaint.
2008 Global Hot 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 & Finance staff
10. IT Staff
Manpower, 2008 Talent Shortage Survey
If your career hits a dead-end, you might want to consider moving to Romania. Nearly three in four employers there complain that they can’t find talent to fill open jobs. Interestingly, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have this same problem, perhaps because those are expensive places to live.
If you’re seeking work in India, there are a lot of vacancies but there appears to be quite a few applicants as well. Just 12% of employers surveyed there complain about a lack of available talent. Only 15% of employers in China report experiencing a talent shortage.
If you’re seriously considering a global career, this is a valuable report because it highlights talent shortages by industry and country. Of course, just because they need sales people in New Zealand doesn’t mean you could close a deal there.
Here’s the Manpower list of Hot Jobs in the United States:
1. Engineers
2. Machinists/Machine Operators
3. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily welders or carpenters/joiners)
4. Technicians
5. Sales Representatives
6. Accounting & Finance Staff
7. Mechanics
8. Laborers
9. IT Staff
10. Production Operators
Manpower, 2008 Talent Shortage Survey
A year ago we reported that the global labor crunch was serious and ran the risk of constraining growth in the world’s economy. This year, the big news is that France has a shortage of skilled chefs. Next year, we could be talking about the job boom in Romania. It’s all over the map.
