Manpower South Africa’s 2016 annual Talent Shortage Survey finds Skilled Trade and Management/Executive positions the most difficult to fill for South African employers. Johannesburg, October 2016: ManpowerGroup’s eleventh annual Talent Shortage Survey [manpowergroup.com/talentshortage] shows some interesting results for 2016 over the 2015 results, with Skilled Trades remaining in the top three most difficult positions for companies to fill, and Engineers falling down to fourth. The survey is conducted annually, using a sample of 750 businesses in South Africa. The results show that 34% of local employers are having difficulty filling jobs, up 3% from the results of the 2015 survey and a staggering 26% when compared to the 2014 results. Employers across the globe are facing the most acute talent shortage since the recession. Of the more than 42 000 employers surveyed, 40% are experiencing difficulties filling roles; the highest level since 2007. As skills needs change rapidly, employers are looking inside their organisations for solutions, with more than half choosing to develop and train their own people. This represents a significant jump from ManpowerGroup’s 2015 survey, when just 20% prioritised training and development to fill roles or find new skills. In the IT sector, businesses are reporting the most marked talent shortage in a number of years. IT roles jump from ninth to second place, the first time the sector has entered the top 5 hardest roles to fill.
14