207 Occupations Difficult to Fill, Top 10 List Released

The American Staffing Association premiered the ASA Skills Gap Index, which tracks the number of hardest-to-fill occupations in the U.S., during Staffing World®, the association’s annual convention and expo. The index identified 207 occupations as hard to fill, with the 10 most difficult being

1. Occupational therapists
2. Physical therapists
3. Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
4. Occupational therapist assistants
5. Speech-language pathologists
6. Physician assistants
7. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
8. Physical therapist assistants
9. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
10. Computer software engineers, applications

“The ASA Skills Gap Index quantifies the severity of the skills shortage in America,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “These new U.S. skills gap data will be used by economists, journalists, government officials, and, most important, staffing firms as they work with clients to develop workforce solutions and devise effective talent acquisition strategies.”

The skills gap index was developed by ASA, using the hiring indicator developed by ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder. It measures the level of difficulty (on a scale of one to 100) to recruit for a specific occupation based on demand, supply of active candidates, and total population working in it. The ASA Skills Gap Index concentrates on hiring indicator scores of 50 or less for hard-to-fill occupations, with a demand of 2,000 jobs or more. ASA will update the index quarterly.

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About the American Staffing Association

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state and regional affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.