Almost half (45%) of hiring managers have open positions they can’t fill – the highest proportion since the first half of 2020 – and the vast majority (91%) expect to have hiring challenges this year. This data from a Harris Poll survey commissioned by Express Employment Professionals shows that companies are still having difficulty finding the talent they need.
The top reason for positions going unfilled is a lack of applicants. Hiring managers report not being able to find applicants:
- With relevant experience (47%)
- With hard skills (46%)
- In general (40%)
- With soft skills (31%)
In addition, employee turnover continues to be an issue – 35% of hiring managers predict turnover will increase this year, due to factors including resignations (35%), better pay/benefits offered elsewhere (35%), the competitive job market (34%), and increased workplace demands (32%). To counteract this, many companies (81%) are looking to rehire employees who have left.
Other hiring challenges include:
- Finding qualified candidates (52%)
- Increased competition in the job market (27%)
- The available talent pool not matching the company’s needs (27%)
“The lack of workers, particularly qualified workers, in America should raise red flags for everyone from the government and educators to businesses and parents,” Express CEO Bill Stoller commented in a press release. “This is a crisis that has been building for years and the fallout is only just beginning if we don’t invest in creating more qualified employees through training and education.”
