UK Talent Shortage
UK MAY HAVE PASSED PEAK TALENT SHORTAGE AS SKILLS GAP NARROWS FOR FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS
The significant drop in the UK talent shortage could mean we’re over the peak of the skills gap which has intensified over the past decade since its last drop in 2014.
Organisations have worked hard to drive positive change amidst major challenges; by upskilling, reskilling, seeking out new talent pools and through smarter use of technology.
Although any movement towards closing the skills gap is positive, other indicators point to a hiring recession. There are fewer jobs out there and this is playing a role in slowing the demand for skills.
Upskilling and reskilling tops employer actions to overcome skills gaps
Questions were multiple choice. Employers were able to indicate more than one action.
*Not for Profit/NGO/Charity/Religious organisation; Other industry; Other Transport, Logistics and Automobiles sub-industry; Educational institutions; Agriculture and Fishing.
FINANCE & REAL ESTATE SECTOR SEES GREATEST TALENT SHORTAGE
Northern Regions & East Midlands Find Greatest Difficulty 2025 talent shortage by region
Micro Businesses See Least Difficulty Filling Roles 2025 talent shortage by business size
Michael Stull
Managing Director
ManpowerGroup UK
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ABOUT THE SURVEY
ManpowerGroup interviewed 40,413 employers in 42 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Türkiye, the UK, and the US.
The fieldwork was completed in all markets during October 1-31, 2024.
The talent shortage is derived by asking employers if they are having difficulty filling vacancies due to a lack of available talent in the labour market. The higher the figure, the greater the percentage of employers surveyed who reported difficulty filling roles due to being unable to find candidates with the skills they need.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What actions are employers taking to overcome talent shortages?
2025 talent shortage by sector
How is the talent shortage determined?
How are companies selected for the Survey?
Employers are selected based on the types of companies and organisations they represent. We want to ensure that our panel is representative of each participating country’s national labor market, so each country’s panel is built in proportion to that country’s overall distribution of industry sectors and organisation sizes.
Who do you interview in each company?
The person we select to interview will be someone with a good overview of staffing levels and hiring intentions within their organisation. Normally, this will be the head of human resources (HR) or an HR manager. In smaller organisations, however, that person may be a general manager or even the CEO.
What are forward-looking statements?
This report contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding labor demand in certain regions, countries and industries, economic uncertainty and the use and impact of AI. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These factors include those found in the Company's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, whose information is incorporated herein by reference. ManpowerGroup disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements in this release, except as required by law.
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