“The 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill In America”
“The 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill In America”
It might be
hard to believe that any employer is struggling to fill positions, since the
unemployment rate reached 8.9% in April, up from 5% a year before. But the
Manpower survey found that employers are having a very hard time filling jobs
for “skilled workers” in specific
niches. Geography plays a significant role too. "To see something better,
you have to look at specific jobs." - Jonas Prising, Manpower's president
for the Americas.
Engineer
For the second year in a row,
engineer is the hardest job to fill in America.
Obama administration's pledge
to rebuild America's infrastructure is increasing the need for talented
engineers.
Why are engineers so hard to
find? "We have whole generations of people loving liberal arts, not going
into science and math," says Larry Jacobson, executive director of the
National Society of Professional Engineers.
There are several reasons it's
hard for employers to find qualified engineers, says Jonas Prising, Manpower's
president for the Americas.
First, the federal stimulus
program is hastening the rebuilding of America's highways, bridges and tunnels,
and the refitting of buildings to be more sustainable, which is making the
demand for engineers soar. The demand for new sustainable energy sources such
as wind farms is increasing too. Meanwhile, the profession's most experienced
workers are retiring in droves.
Employers don't want to hire two or three engineers with a
variety of specialties; they want one engineer who is trained in several areas.
There are far too few new college graduates in engineering to replace retiring
engineers.
Nurse
There are several causes of this shortage. First, the demand for
them is higher than ever because the aging American population needs more and
more health care, and advances in medicine are enabling nurses' patients to
survive and need treatment longer, while many nurses are reaching retirement
age. Also, advances in medical care require more nurses to assist in treatment.
However, there's a shortage of nurse educators, so while demand for
professionals is great, there aren't enough teachers to train the next
generation fast enough.
Skilled Trades
Needs variety of workers with specialized skills acquired at
vocational schools or in on-the-job-training during apprenticeships.
The professions include electrician, bricklayer, carpenter,
cabinetmaker, mason, plumber and welder. There's a shortage of these workers
because so many young people are encouraged to attend four-year colleges, not
vocational schools. Also, these jobs are physically demanding. "It's one
of the baffling shortages of skills, since they're well-paid, flexible
positions," Prising says. "You can have gainful employment for a long
time. This isn't work that will be outsourced or disappear. It's locally based
work with geographically transferable skills."
Teacher
Many schools find it hard to hire qualified teachers, because
becoming a teacher often requires a graduate degree, but salaries remain
relatively low. Meanwhile, they need more teachers, with many baby boomers
retiring. "If there aren't enough teachers, we can't make more
graduates." - Karen L. Miller
Sales Representative
Salespeople are in demand during tough economies because they're
instrumental in companies' growth. But it takes a long time to become a skilled
sales representative, since it involves serious training and becoming an expert
in your product and its market. Also, you need a mix of soft skills and
technical skills, a tough combination to find.
Technician
These are workers in engineering, technical, operations or
maintenance roles that may be classified as either skilled or semi-skilled
workers. They often support professionals who have deeper skill bases. Like
workers in skilled trades, technicians are trained at vocational schools, and
they're in short supply because so many high school students are encouraged to
go to four-year colleges instead.
Driver
Truck driver, to be specific. They are hard to recruit because
they have to be away from home for long periods, receive low wages, work very
long hours and put up with a fluctuating workload.
Information Technology
Staff
These
professionals have been on Manpower's list for four years, and Prising says
they'll probably remain there for several more. There's a huge demand for them
because virtually every aspect of global business--and modern-day life in
general--requires computers and computer networks. Also, advancing takes
additional education in a world of constantly changing technology.
Laborer
This
is very physical, unskilled and often repetitive work at low pay.
Machinist or Machine
Operator
Highly skilled workers are in demand, mostly in manufacturing.
With all the news reports about how manufacturing is leaving America, many
young people chose not to go into this field. But American manufacturing does
still very much exist, and it needs skilled machinists.
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