Most employers are having trouble filling job openings these days. The economy’s just too hot. But labor shortages have existed in some occupations for years - even during the Great Recession and its immediate aftermath. Consider:
What are these perennial in-demand/hard-to-fill jobs? Per Manpower Group’s 2018 Talent Shortage Survey, there were:
Skilled Trades, e.g., mechanics and welders
Drivers, e.g., delivery drivers
Sales Representatives, e.g., business-to-business
Healthcare Professionals, e.g., doctors and nurses
Teachers, e.g., K-12
Office Support, e.g. administrative assistants and PAs
Technicians, e.g., electronics engineering technician
Management/Executives, e.g., industrial production managers and logistics managers
Restaurant/Hotel Staff, e.g., cooks and food preparation workers
Manufacturing, e.g. CNC tool operators
And in 2011-2017? Mostly the same occupations. Occasionally accounting/finance and engineers get into the top 10 in-demand/hard-to-fill occupations. And, no, these occupations won’t be going the way of the dodo any time soon. If you check the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online or Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Outlook Handbook, you’ll find “bright outlooks’ for many job titles within each of these occupational groups.
Because what AI and robots take away in old job tasks, they give back - and then some - in new job tasks. That's because technology expands the realm of the doable. In other words, when more is possible, more will be done to exploit the possible. For example, a receptionist may be assigned the task of updating the employer's blog or creating lists of marketing targets from the company's customer database. Which is why “Office Support” remains on the list.