48% of Indian employers up against talent shortage: Survey

Around 48% employers in India find it tough filling job positions due to lack of available talent, and the toughest are those in accounting, finance and IT, says a survey.

According to ManpowerGroup Annual Talent Shortage Survey, out of more than 42,000 employers surveyed globally, 40% faced such difficulties -- the highest since 2007.

In India, the figure stood at 48% and the major reasons include lack of soft skills as cited by 36% respondents and desire for more pay than on offer (34%).

The job titles in demand in India this year include IT personnel, accounting and finance staff, project and sales managers, customer service representatives and customer support technicians and quality controllers. "The demand index for IT and accounting professionals has been on a continuous rise. Focus on technology upgradation and better financial access will drive the sectors' growth in coming months," said A G Rao, Group MD of ManpowerGroup India.

Rao felt that increased automation will lead to a rise in high-skilled jobs. The areas which will see high demand and lucrative pay packages include big data, analytics, mobility, design, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence.

Region-wise, 46% of Asian employers reported hiring difficulties, with Japan (86%), Taiwan (73%) and Hong Kong (69%) reporting most of the challenges while just 10% of Chinese employers faced such an issue, the lowest of all countries surveyed.

As per the report, as skills change rapidly, employers are looking inside for solutions, with 36% of Indian employers choosing to develop and train their own people.