One in eight employers face skills shortage in 2008

- UK skills shortage eases as employment conditions tighten, according to Manpower

- Skills shortage eases to 12% of employers compared to 34% in 2007

- 31% of employers worldwide struggle to fill roles

- Skilled Manual Trades, Labourers, Chefs/Cooks are hardest to fill roles in UK

One in eight (12%) of UK employers are facing difficulties in recruiting the staff they require, according to the third Manpower Annual Talent Shortage Survey released today. However, the continued difficulties in recruiting the right staff represents a marked improvement from 2007 (34% of employers cited difficulties) and from 2006 (42%).

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The independent research of 2,100 UK employers reveals that the most difficult positions to fill are: Skilled Manual Trades, Labourers and Chefs/Cooks. For the second year in a row, Skilled Manual Trades tops the poll. Labourers and Chefs/Cooks have moved rapidly up the list (by four and five places, respectively).

IT staff and Nurses enter the Top 10 for the first time and Drivers re-enter the chart. Seven of the positions from last year make the chart this year. Interestingly, Accounting & Finance staff drop out of the Top 10 for the first time.

Mark Cahill, Managing Director of Manpower UK, comments: ìWith reports of economic uncertainty, employees are not as keen to move jobs meaning employers are not faced with the same challenges of filling vacancies they were when the survey began two years ago. Employers are also focusing on making the most of the capacity of their existing workforce before they hire new people.

ìSkills shortages may be easing but are still prevalent across many different sectors and for a variety of roles. In this situation, employers need to keep focusing on developing their employer brands and retention strategies throughout the year.

ìThere is growing uncertainty about jobs in the Finance sector, and the City in particular, with redundancies being made. With a growth in the number of job seekers and more caution being taken about hiring decisions, these positions are no longer in as much demand as in previous years.î

To address the continuing skills shortage, Manpower recommends that employers need to maintain a flexible approach to their recruitment needs by taking such steps as considering using temporary staff to meet short-term needs, looking to older workers and mothers returning to work or looking to staff from outside the UK.

Cahill continues: ìUK employers have benefited from migrant labour to fill roles in a range of industries including skilled trades, labourers and the hospitality industry. The reported decline in immigration may be adding to the shortages in these sectors.î

Around the world, the survey of 43,000 employers in 32 countries and territories reveals that the percentage of employers having difficulty finding the right people to fill jobs dropped from 41 percent last year to 31 percent this year. Talent shortages remain extremely prevalent, particularly in Romania (73%), Japan (63%), Hong Kong (61%), Singapore (57%) and Australia (52%). Of all the countries and territories surveyed, Hong Kong reported the largest increase in employers struggling to fill jobs compared to 2007. In addition to the UK, the talent shortage appears to be least problematic in India, Ireland and China this year.

At a global level, the most sought after roles are similar to those in the UK with Skilled Manual Trades, Sales Representatives and Technicians the positions hardest to fill.

Todayís survey announcement coincides with the publication of the Manpower White Paper, Confronting the Talent Crunch: 2008, updated since its 2007 publication. The White Paper highlights the growing talent shortages around the world and what businesses, governments and individuals should be doing to adapt their human resource strategies.