10 Most Difficult to Fill Occupations
The American Staffing Association Skills Gap Index has identified the hardest-to-fill occupations in the U.S. for the second quarter of 2016, with the 10 most difficult being
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- General internists
- Podiatrists
- Psychiatrists
- Physician assistants
- Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Surgeons
- Occupational therapists
- Nurse practitioners
Physician assistants, obstetricians and gynecologists, and nurse practitioners moved into the top 10 list of hardest-to-fill positions. Health care continues to dominate the list with eight of the 10 most difficult-to-fill occupations falling within that sector.
Occupational therapist assistants, physical therapists, and family and general practitioners slipped below the top 10 because of methodology changes. The rankings are based on CareerBuilder supply and demand data.
“More than fifteen million people in the U.S. are unemployed, including those marginally attached to the labor force, or are working part time for economic reasons yet there are still nearly six million job openings going unfilled,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “Staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions companies are helping businesses strategically recruit and retain talent by using the ASA Skills Gap Index to ensure they are paying wages that are competitive based on regional variations and current skills shortages.”
The ASA Skills Gap Index was established by the American Staffing Association, using a hiring indicator developed by ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder. The hiring indicator measures the level of difficulty (on a scale of one to 100, with lower scores indicating harder to fill) to fill a specific occupation based on demand, supply of active candidates, and all individuals working in that occupation. The ASA Skills Gap Index concentrates on hiring indicator scores of 50 or less with a demand of 2,000 jobs or more to determine the top hard-to-fill occupations, now based on a one-month snapshot of data. The ASA Skills Gap Index is updated quarterly.
Methodology Update
In September 2016, CareerBuilder implemented new guidelines for its supply and demand data methodology and salary data inputs, significantly changing hiring indicator scores and the number of hard to fill occupations.
# # #
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 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.
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, August 2018 The ASA Staffing Index for the week of Aug. 6–12 strengthened by 0.7% to a rounded value of 101—the third consecutive week the index has reached record highs for their comparable weeks. This also marks the first time the index has reached a rounded figure of 101 before… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, October 2017 Staffing employment for the week of Oct. 9–15 edged up to 98.61, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Temporary and contract staffing employment was 0.09% higher than the prior week, with some survey respondents citing temporary-to-hire conversions as a condition that impeded growth. Staffing employment was 1.32% higher… More ›
New Data From Quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 3.24 million temporary and contract workers per week in the third quarter of 2016. Staffing employment growth eased (down 0.6%) compared with the same period in 2015, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. Temporary… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, April 2016 Staffing employment for the week of April 11–17 edged up to 94.62, according to the ASA Staffing Index— the highest value this year. Temporary and contract staffing employment was up 0.38% from the prior week, and was 2.71% lower than the same week last year. This week, containing… More ›
Top 10 List of Occupations Difficult to Fill The American Staffing Association’s Skills Gap Index identified the hardest-to-fill occupations in the U.S. for the third quarter of 2015, with the 10 most difficult being Podiatrists Photographic process workers and processing machine operators Occupational therapists Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers Psychiatrists Forest fire inspectors and prevention… More ›
Top 10 List of Occupations Difficult to Fill The American Staffing Association’s Skills Gap Index identified 181 hard-to-fill occupations in the U.S. for the 12 months ended March 2015, with the 10 most difficult being Occupational therapists Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers Physical therapists Photographic process workers and processing machine operators Occupational therapy assistants Speech-language… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, December 2014 ASA Staffing Index Continues to Climb Staffing employment for the week of Dec. 8–14 rose to 107.54, according to the ASA Staffing Index—the highest value since the index’s inception in June 2006. Temporary and contract staffing employment increased 0.40% from the prior week, and was 4.18% higher than… More ›
“Over the year, employment in professional and business services [which includes staffing] has expanded by 648,000,” said BLS commissioner Erica L. Groshen, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More ›
Seasonally adjusted employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that staffing firms added 25,600 new jobs from April to May (up 1.0%). More ›
Seasonally adjusted employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that staffing firms added 16,000 new jobs from January to February (up More ›
