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If you think it’s getting harder to find qualified employees, you’re not alone. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. employers report difficulties filling jobs due to lack of available talent. That’s up from 32% reported last year at this time, according to the Talent Shortage Survey from Manpower Group.

For the seventh straight year, skilled trades positions remain the hardest to fill in the United States, followed by Drivers, Sales Representatives, Teachers, and Restaurant & Hotel Staff.

“Upskilling Workers” instead

I’d never heard this term before, but Manpower calls it “upskill.” I’d call it grow your own.

Either way, about half (48%) of the companies in the survey say because of the skill shortage and the demand for talent increasing, they are choosing to invest internally to get current employees the skills they need to advance (upskilling).

That half (really 48%) has jumped from 2015, when only 12% said they were going to train and develop their own.

“Low(er) unemployment paired with shorter skills cycles due to the speed of technological change means employers across the United States are struggling to fill positions. We see this particularly in industries like manufacturing, construction, transportation and education. — Kip Wright, Senior VP, Manpower North America

When asked why they are struggling to fill certain jobs, employers cite a lack of applicants (23%), lack of experience (18%), lack of hard skills or technical competencies (16%) and candidates looking for more pay than is offered (16%).

“When the talent isn’t available, organizations need to turn to training and developing their own people — and in many cases this means first identifying the skills that will be required in increasingly digital industries, like manufacturing.” — Kip Wright, Senior VP, Manpower North America