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According data from the world’s biggest job siteIndeed,finding suitable new staff has never been more of a challenge for British employers.
The shortage of staff is seen mostly in sectors that require highly skilled workers, with Britain’s techsector struggling to find enough people with the right skills and experience – despite paying high salaries.
The role of an optometrist has proven to be the most difficult to fill, with 68.79% of vacancies posted on Indeed over 2019 remaining unfilled for 60 days or more. Just over half of solicitor roles were still vacant after 60 days, with surgeons just behind on 46.32%.
The vast majority of these difficult to fill roles are in the tech sector, an indication both of the tech boom and also of how employers are having to exercise patience and find staff with the specialist skills they need.
Software engineers (41.8%), software architects (41.78%), front-end developers (40.31%), system engineers (40.24%), software test engineers (39.86%) and full stack developers (39.76%) also make the ‘hard to fill’ list. All pay an average annual salary of £37,500 or more, with the average software architect able to command almost double (£70,000).
Jobs withhighest percentage of vacancies that were ‘hard to fill’ in pastyear
Rank | Job Title | % of vacancies that are ‘hard to fill’ | Average Annual Salary |
1 | Optometrist | 68.79 | £50,000 |
2 | Solicitor | 51.4 | £45,000 |
3 | Surgeon | 46.32 | £41,000 |
4 | Software Engineer | 41.8 | £40,000 |
5 | Software Architect | 41.78 | £70,000 |
6 | Front End Developer | 40.31 | £42,500 |
7 | System Engineer | 40.24 | £37,500 |
8 | Flight Attendant | 40.06 | £23,000 |
9 | Software Test Engineer | 39.86 | £40,000 |
10 | Full Stack Developer | 39.76 | £47,500 |
Indeed have also determined which roles have the highest number of ‘hard to fill’ postings.
Cleaners account for almost 3% of the jobs currently listed on Indeed that are classed as ‘hard to fill’. Although only 11.53% of cleaner jobs are classed as ‘hard to fill,’ the overall quantity of cleaners being sought means that, as a proportion of ‘hard to fill’ jobs, cleaner roles top the list.
Support staff make up 2.15% of ‘hard to fill’ jobs, chefs make up 2.06% and customer service representatives come in with 1.91%, while care assistants complete the top five, making up 1.677% of all ‘hard to fill’ jobs listed.
Jobs withhighestproportion of all ‘hard to fill’ postings in the UK in the past year
Rank | Job Title | Jobs with the most ‘hard to fill’ roles (by % market share) | Average Annual Salary |
1 | Cleaner | 2.95 | £16,640 |
2 | Support Staff | 2.15 | £17,680 |
3 | Chef | 2.06 | £18,408 |
4 | Customer Service Representative | 1.91 | £18,000 |
5 | Care Assistant | 1.68 | £18,221 |
6 | Customer Assistant | 1.60 | £19,396 |
7 | Registered Nurse | 1.12 | £35,360 |
8 | Server | 1.05 | £17,722 |
9 | Delivery Driver | 1.00 | £18,616 |
10 | Sales Assistant | 0.97 | £16,432 |
Among many of the roles where candidates are proving most elusive are entry-level jobs. Given there is already difficulty in filling these roles, there is concern among employers that post-Brexit constraints on the ability of EU citizens to work in the UK could make it even harder for British bosses to source workers.
If you want to make sure that you’re recruitment team is up to whatever task they face – check out the link here!
FAQs
Healthcare professionals, technology professionals, skilled tradespeople, sales professionals, and manufacturing workers are some of the most challenging positions to fill due to a shortage of qualified candidates, intense competition, and other factors.
What jobs are most difficult to fill? ›
Healthcare professionals, technology professionals, skilled tradespeople, sales professionals, and manufacturing workers are some of the most challenging positions to fill due to a shortage of qualified candidates, intense competition, and other factors.
What are the most difficult positions to fill? ›
The hardest roles to fill are tech workers, healthcare professionals, sales, and product/project managers based on recorded data. Let's find out why recruiters and talent acquisition professionals have difficulty finding talent in these fields.
What are hard to fill roles? ›
This might be entry-level jobs with lower salaries or highly technical positions that require skills, certifications or training that not many people have. It could also be jobs with dangerous working conditions or not-so-glamorous duties.
What job is in most demand right now? ›
12 high-demand jobs
- Web developer. ...
- Technical writer. ...
- Paralegal. ...
- Statistician. ...
- Medical assistant. ...
- Substance abuse counselor. ...
- Health services manager. ...
- Nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are advanced in their field, having achieved higher education than a registered nurse in order to consult with and diagnose patients.
Fastest declining occupations
| 2022 National Employment Matrix title | 2022 National Employment Matrix code | Median annual wage, dollars, 2023 |
|---|
| Word processors and typists | 43-9022 | 46,450 |
| Watch and clock repairers | 49-9064 | 58,140 |
| Roof bolters, mining | 47-5043 | 66,660 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand | 51-9031 | 37,040 |
28 more rowsThe least stressful jobs
- Massage therapist.
- Hairstylist.
- Librarian.
- Landscaper.
- Orthodontist.
- Art director.
- Occupational therapist.
- Medical records technician.
Top 20 secure jobs
- Wind turbine technician.
- Nurse practitioner.
- Data scientist.
- Information security analyst.
- Statistician.
- Medical and health services manager.
- Physician assistant.
- Epidemiologist.
Hard to Break Into Industries
- Telecommunication.
- Brick & Mortar Retail.
- Online Casinos.
- National/International Parcel Delivery.
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.
- Passenger Air Transportation.
A Harvard University study found that the loneliest jobs were also the unhappiest. These include remote jobs as well as jobs in tech, food delivery, and the online retail sector. The study was conducted over 85 years. Over 700 people were interviewed.
Flexible and Easy, High-Paying Jobs
- Data Entry Jobs.
- Transcription Jobs.
- Tutoring Jobs.
- Writing Jobs.
- Animals & Wildlife Jobs.
- Social Media Jobs.
- Sports & Fitness Jobs.
- Customer Service Jobs.
Source Qualified Candidates
- Get referrals. ...
- Search the web. ...
- Consider past candidates. ...
- Think of all-star former employees. ...
- Use a public resume database: Expand your candidate pool by using job boards that have a public resume database.
Yet, if there's one facet of the job search process that stands out as the hardest, it's the virtue of patience. The Waiting Game: Perhaps the most challenging part of job searching is the waiting.
Why does getting a job seem so hard? ›
As more companies pause hiring, they're trimming their talent acquisition teams, too, says Kaplan, which means there are fewer people to manage job postings and respond to applicants, further exacerbating confusion in the job market.
What industry is it hardest to get a job in? ›
Full-stack, cybersecurity and DevOps continue to be the most in-demand roles, and the hardest roles to hire for. Technologies like AI, ML, Cloud, and data science, still dominating the job posting headlines, are also in the running for hard-to-hire positions. While HackerEarth's data partially aligns with Index.
What is the least satisfying job? ›
A few of the least satisfying jobs include fast-food cooks, waiters, parking lot attendants, bartenders, and roofers. If you find yourself in a dissatisfying job, consider reading The Art of Find the Job You Love: An Unconventional Guide to Work with Meaning by Cara Heilmann.
What is the easiest full time job? ›
Flexible and Easy, High-Paying Jobs
- Data Entry Jobs.
- Transcription Jobs.
- Tutoring Jobs.
- Writing Jobs.
- Animals & Wildlife Jobs.
- Social Media Jobs.
- Sports & Fitness Jobs.
- Customer Service Jobs.
