Some countries are faring better than others in today’s modern, global economic system, at least when it comes to avoiding skill shortages. The complexities involved in the global mobility of talent and skill shortages, include a myriad of factors, including: education, social demographics, wages, and more. Essentially, skill shortages are a short or long-term result of a technologically advanced global economy with interconnected, dynamic societies. Let’s explore this topic more by looking at the countries facing the greatest skill shortages and why.
List of Countries
An article found on Forbes, called:“The Countries Facing The Greatest Skill Shortages [Infographic]”, written by Niall McCarthy – shows the findings of a OECD report called:“Getting Skills Right: Assessing and Anticipating Changing Skill Needs”.
“Skills shortage as a % of firms with 10 or more employees in selected countries”:
- Japan 81%
- India 64%
- Brazil 63%
- Turkey 63%
- Mexico 44%
- Greece 42%
- Australia 41%
- Germany 40%
- United States 40%
- Italy 34%
- Canada 31%
- China 24%
- France 21%
- United Kingdom 12%
- Spain 3%
These percentages show how many employers reported having difficulty finding qualified employees with the required skills needed.
Why the Skill Shortages?
This is a complex question considering the scope of the problem, yet there are identifiable reasons for why some countries are facing more skill shortages than others. A good summation of the problem is found in theOECDreport mentioned above:
“Increased globalisation and rapid technological change, but also demographic migration and labour market developments, have altered considerably the structure of skill requirements in most countries in recent decades – and these trends are expected to continue in the foreseeable future.”
The main problem is the types of jobs being created don’t have a corresponding workforce with the skills needed to fill the positions. Technological innovation is playing a large part in shifting the types of jobs being created, while changing social demographics and behaviors are also playing a large role in the skill shortages.
The report does specify:
“Shortages are likely to be greater in countries with low educational attainment and high economic growth as their educational infrastructures may lag in adjusting to rapid structural change.”
Each country has different variables factoring in to why they are facing skill shortages; for instance, looking at the first on the list Japan, we learn fromThe Japan Times News:
“Japan’s aging and shrinking population is causing labor shortages…labor intensive sectors like hotels, restaurants and elderly care are suffering from the biggest labor shortages.”Japan is also facing skills shortages with management positions, because they’re lagging behind in university education, language skills, and management education. Each country has root factors causing the shortage of certain skills, including the planning and management of dealing with them.
Solutions to Skill Shortages
Both the governments and individual businesses are assessing the problem of skill shortages in their countries, in order to develop strategies to fill any labor and skill gaps. Understanding where the skill shortages are and sharing the information to: higher educational facilities, industries, and government programs — is the first step. Developing strategies to find skilled workers and maintain a more balanced flow of them through: education, international recruiting, retraining, etc. – is the next step.
One of the main solutions being sought by employers is international recruiting, which is more possible today than ever. This solution is to find a surplus of qualified workers in a country, then recruit them to the country with the skill shortages. Attaining foreign skilled workers also benefits employers because they offer foreign market expertise, which is desirable in an interconnected global economy.
Businesses in many different countries are taking the initiative to recruit internationally, especially, when experiencing the negative affects of these skill shortages. Services that facilitate this are becoming valuable partners for businesses for this reason. The Network is this kind of service, helping businesses around the world find qualified candidates from our global alliance of more than 50 leading recruitment websites in over 130 countries.
Businesses can partner with The Network to streamline their international recruitment efforts, using: one point of contact with industry expertise, one currency, and one contract. Top global talent are willing to relocate, yet recruitment processes need to be smooth and efficient to represent the quality of the opportunity.
