10 industries that need more workers

Health care and IT make SHRM’s latest list along with a variety of other industries—and
they all need you to help fill the open jobs.

Step one for finding a job: Apply. No brainer, right?

Well, according to a recent report from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM),
a majority of recruiters cited “a low number of applicants” as the biggest problem when it comes
to filling open jobs. 

In fact, employers are having a harder time than ever hiring qualified applicants, according to
SHRM. The study found that 68% of HR professionals surveyed have experienced difficulty
recruiting candidates for full-time positions in their organizations over the course of 2016,
compared to 50% reported in 2013—that’s an 18-percentage-point rise over the past three years.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics only supports these findings. According to the BLS, as
the unemployment rate has been decreasing, the number of job openings has been increasing,
creating huge talent shortages for companies in many different fields.

So which fields have the largest talent shortages? The SHRM report indicated that health care,
social assistance and manufacturing have the highest levels of recruiting difficulty. The health
care industry talent deficit is unsurprising. This industry is on track to become the largest growth
sectors in fewer than three years. But how did manufacturing make the list? Well, according to
the BLS, a few manufacturing industries—cement and concrete product manufacturing and
veneer, plywood and engineered wood manufacturing—are expected to experience tremendous
occupational growth rates.

You can click through the top 10 jobs recruiters have struggled to fill for full-time, regular
positions in the last 12 months below. Oh and if you see one you like, don’t forget to apply.
1. High-skilled medical, such as nurses, doctors and specialists

2. Scientists and mathematicians

3. Skilled trades, such as electricians, carpenters, machinists, mechanics, welders and plumbers

4. Engineering and architecture

5. IT computer specialists, such as IT analysts, software developers and programmers and

database administrators

6. Executives

7. High-skilled technicians, such as health, telecommunications and environmental technicians

8. Transportation, such as drivers

9. Construction and extraction workers in mining

10. Community and social service workers, such as counselors, therapists and social workers