The talent gap: finding skilled workers isn’t easy
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a current unemployment rate of around nine percent. With roughly 12.8 million people out of work, how are so many jobs going unfilled? A recent report by Deloitte for the Manufacturing Institute which was based on a survey of manufacturers, found that as many as 600,000 jobs are going unfilled. “High unemployment is not making it easier to fill positions, particularly in the areas of skilled production and production support,” the Deloitte report found.1
There is a growing talent gap between skilled jobs in the trades and trained workers to fill them. In 2011, the Manpower Talent Shortage Survey listed the skilled trades as the most difficult jobs to fill, with electricians, welders, machinists, and carpenters/joiners in highest demand.2