EMERGING TECH:
Employers are looking for people with IT skills to meet demand for AI applications, but also recruiters to help find them, ManpowerGroup said
Staff writer, with CNA
About 73 percent of employers in Taiwan reported recruitment difficulties, with those trying to hire workers with IT and data skills facing the most significant challenge, a survey released yesterday by human resources advisory firm ManpowerGroup showed.
In its latest global talent shortage report, ManpowerGroup surveyed more than 40,000 people in 41 countries and regions, including 630 in Taiwan, finding that 75 percent of employers worldwide were dealing with a talent shortage, slightly higher than Taiwan’s 73 percent.
In Japan, about 85 percent of employers said they found it hard to fill job vacancies, the highest rate among those surveyed, followed by Germany, Greece and Israel (all 82 percent); Ireland, Portugal and India (all 81 percent); and the UK, France, Canada and Brazil (all 80 percent).
Photo: CNA
About 79 percent of employers in Singapore said they had trouble filling vacancies, while 70 percent surveyed in the US and 69 percent in China also reported hiring issues.
ManpowerGroup Taiwan general manager Joan Yeh (葉朝蒂) said in a statement that talent shortages have become a universal phenomenon.
With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, cultivating AI talent has become an important task for employers worldwide, Yeh said.
In Taiwan, 78 percent of employers in the transportation, logistics and auto businesses faced challenges finding talent, the highest of all major industries, followed by industrial and raw materials sectors (77 percent), the survey found.
The talent shortage in the local transportation, logistics and auto industries comes amid an explosion in spending in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, with many people rushing to take trips and splurge on entertainment activities, which has prompted logistics operators and airlines to expand hiring to meet demand, Yeh said.
Thirty-five percent of employers in Taiwan said that finding workers with IT and data skills was most challenging, ahead of those with engineering skills (26 percent), manufacturing and production skills (24 percent), human resources skills (23 percent), and sustainability and environmental skills (20 percent).
The shortage of workers with IT and data skills reflects the growing demand for AI applications, while many businesses also need employees to analyze data and enhance cybersecurity, Yeh said.
Companies also need to recruit human resources professionals to help them find the right personnel to facilitate AI development, she added.
Tackling the talent shortage would require employers in Taiwan to provide more flexible work schedules, higher compensation and the ability for employees to work remotely, the survey said.
Such flexibility demonstrates a company’s awareness of the importance of retaining, as well as recruiting, talent, Yeh said.
Seventy percent of employers in Taiwan said that they were worried about an economic slowdown, the survey showed.
Based on those concerns, employers are expected to freeze hiring and cut training budgets, which could make it challenging for employees to acquire necessary skills, Yeh said.
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