Skills Shortages Persist in an Uneven Economy

Critical skills shortages remain despite current concerns of automation and job losses. As the global workforce evolves to develop new capabilities, and tasks are being reshaped by technology, many still rely heavily on human expertise. Change comes slowly, and employers report difficulties filling positions in fields like healthcare and skilled trades.

The growing shortage in healthcare around the world will affect countries at all levels of socioeconomic development. Q2 reporting on job vacancies cites an average time-to-fill of 2+ months in the U.S., indicating current hiring challenges.

A global shortage of 11 million health workers is predicted by 2030.

A worldwide manufacturing survey cited labor costs and shortages as critical supply chain challenges in 2025. The labor shortage in the U.S. stands at roughly 400,000.

Finance and accounting industries are experiencing growing shortages of talent, with nearly 9 in 10 leaders citing shortages in 2025 compared to 63% in 2020.

41% of manufacturers face labor shortages in their supply chains globally.

87% of finance leaders face a shortage of accountants.

Our View

Limit industry experience to expand talent pools.

While many roles require specialized experience, much of today’s is driven by transferable skills that aren’t tied to any one industry. Reevaluate how roles are defined and identify where to bring in talent from outside of your sector.

Consider mixing permanent hires and non-employee workers.

A total talent approach removes the constraint of predefining roles as employee or contractor only. With technologies that give HR and procurement visibility across all worker types, this approach is now broadly adopted.

Strengthen your employer brand through a value proposition.

Despite layoffs and difficulties for job seekers, employers still struggle to fill many roles. When seeking in-demand talent, consider that companies outside your industry may be competing for the same workers. A strong value proposition, including flexibility, competitive pay, and culture, can make the difference in securing talent.

Expert Perspective

Overcome talent scarcity challenges by resetting your expectations of what
your talent solutions partner can do — practical advice for EMEA and globally.

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Becky Käppeler

Vice President,
Global Operations
Excellence, RPO
KellyOCG + Sevenstep