Difficult-to-Fill Jobs Study Initial Results Economic Research and Analysis
Research Objectives Primary Research Objectives: Collect data on that employers considered difficult-to-fill Measure employer perceptions of the Utah labor market Question Themes: Count the number of difficult-to-fill Determine the occupational title of the difficult-to-fill jobs Understand why hiring managers believe they are having trouble filling these positions Determine what skills and certification are most important for each occupation Establish the qualifications for each occupation
Survey Structure Introduction and explanation of important topics Number of TOTAL JOB OPENINGS in the last 12 months Number of UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS Number of DIFFICULT-TO-FILL Follow-up questions for as many as 10 difficult-to-fill JOB TITLES of difficult-to-fill (from most to least difficult) Number of difficultto-fill JOB OPENINGS Follow-up questions for as many as 3 most difficult-to-fill Number of DAYS were open Level of EDUCATION advertised for these Level of EXPERIENCE advertised for these Number HOURS expected to work in these COMPENSATION offered for these REASONS that these were difficult-to-fill Most important KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, OR ABILITIES to be successful in these Difficulty finding KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, OR ABILITIES LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS required for these Difficulty finding LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS Difficulty finding SOFT SKILLS End Survey Formatting Questions
Participation Rates Responses among those that fully participated The number of unique difficult-to-fill per establishment 1 2 3 4 5 or More Did Not Fully Participate in Survey 56% n=1,197 Fully Participated in Survey* 44% At Least 1 Difficult-to- Fill Job** 63% Zero Difficult-to- Fill Jobs 32% 5% n=531 Zero Openings 4% 8% 8% 26% n=336 54% * At Least 1 Difficult-to-Fill Job, Zero Difficult-to-Fill Jobs, Zero Openings ** Only accounts for respondents that completed the survey (excludes respondents that had incomplete interviews )
Difficult-to-Fill Occupation Data The number of difficult-to-fill * in each occupational category Percent of Total Responses Office and Administrative Support Management Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Construction and Extraction Computer and Mathematical Sales and Related Business and Financial Operations Architecture and Engineering Healthcare Support Personal Care and Service Production Community and Social Service Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Education, Training, and Library Food Preparation and Serving Related Transportation and Material Moving Legal Life, Physical, and Social Science Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Protective Service Non-STEM Occupations 62 19 58 4 48 45 43 39 34 30 26 1 25 14 11 19 17 14 9 5 3 7 4 2 2 42 6 2 109 STEM Occupations 76% 24% 17 Total per Category 109 79 61 58 52 51 45 39 34 30 27 25 25 19 17 14 9 8 7 6 2 * Unique per establishment ( may be counted more than once if identified by more than one establishment) n=717
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) Specific HARD KSAs Percent Identified Specific SOFT KSAs Percent Identified Computers and Electronics or Engineering and Technology 10% Medicine and Dentistry 5% Sales and Marketing 4% Economics, Accounting or Finance 4% Other 12% Hard Knowledge, Skill, Ability 38% Soft Knowledge, Skill, Ability Professionalism, Conduct, Ethics or Honesty Teamwork, People Skills, or Social Intelligence Attitude, Flexibility and Manageability Customer Service or Service Orientation 7% 7% 6% 6% Building and Construction 3% n=1,502 Time/Project Management or Multi-Tasking 5%
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) The Difference between Non-STEM and STEM Occupations Top KSAs Identified for Non-STEM Occupations Soft KSA Hard KSA Other 13% 9% Top KSAs Identified for STEM Occupations 8% 7% 7% 5% 5% 4% Economics, Accounting or Finance Sales & Marketing Medicine & Dentistry Professionalism, Conduct, Ethics or Honesty Teamwork, People Skills, or Social Intelligence Attitude, Flexibility & Manageability 32% 56% 61% Computers & Electronics or Engineering & Technology Medicine & Dentistry Installation, Repair or Mechanical Building & Construction Mathmatics or Science Customer Service or Service Orientation 7% 4% 3% 3% 4% 34% 6% Time/Project Management or Multi-Tasking 30% Communication or Active Listening 3% 6% Customer Service or Service Orientation Teamwork, People Skills, or Social Intelligence 3% Non-STEM STEM n=1,191 n=311
Reasons that Difficult-to-Fill Jobs Pose a Challenge for Employers Reasons the most difficult-to-fill presented hiring challenges Lack of Applicants 69% Lack of Job Specific KSAs Lack of Work Experience 63% 62% Lack of Training 36% Lack of Soft Skills 33% Lack of Certification or License Low Wages Challenging Working Conditions Demanding Education Requirements Other 5% 24% 22% 22% 20% Of the establishments that provided wage information for their most difficult-to-fill job openings, 66% offered wages below the occupational median wage. However, only 22% of those with at least one difficult-to-fill job opening believe that low wages were a contributing factor to their challenges. n=2,137
Occupational Wages Occupational Wages Reported to the BLS* Below 25 th Percentile Interquartile Range Above 75 th Percentile Lower Wages Median Wage Higher Wages Wages Offered for Difficult-to-Fill Jobs** 38% 30% 18% 14% n=469 * State wages for all collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics program of the BLS ** Excludes Refused to Answer, Don t Know, commission based wages, and Other responses
LESS Education MORE Offered Wages Relative to Occupational Average Education: Associates Degree of Higher Experience: Less than One Year Offered Wages Relative to Average Below Range Within Range Above Range 36% 40% 12% 12% Education: Associates Degree of Higher Experience: One Year or More Offered Wages Relative to Average Below Range Within Range Above Range 34% 26% 21% 19% n=25 n=141 Education: Less than Associates Degree Experience: Less than One Year Education: Less than Associates Degree Experience: One Year or More Offered Wages Relative to Average Offered Wages Relative to Average Below Range Within Range Above Range Below Range Within Range Above Range 47% 30% 16% 8% 35% 32% 19% 14% n=115 n=181 LESS Experience NOTE: Excludes Refused to Answer, Don t Know, commission based wages, and Other responses MORE
Occupational Offered Wages Below Normal Range Within Normal Range Above Normal Range Percent of Total Responses Office and Administrative Support Management Construction and Extraction Sales and Related Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Computer and Mathematical Healthcare Support Personal Care and Service Architecture and Engineering Production Business and Financial Operations Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Community and Social Service Food Preparation and Serving Related Transportation and Material Moving Education, Training, and Library Legal Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Life, Physical, and Social Science Protective Service Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 38% 30% 18% 14% 31% 27% 21% 21% 65% 23% 8% 4% 30% 30% 24% 15% 56% 21% 13% 10% 41% 29% 9% 21% 32% 32% 15% 21% 44% 24% 24% 8% 22% 52% 17% 9% 36% 27% 23% 14% 10% 29% 24% 38% 32% 16% 26% 26% 39% 39% 22% 35% 41% 18% 6% 33% 17% 30% 40% 20% 10% 30% 20% 29% 57% 14% 67% 33% 100% Sample Size 71 48 46 39 34 34 25 23 22 21 19 18 17 12 10 10 7 6 3 2 2 NOTE: Excludes Refused to Answer, Don t Know, commission based wages, and Other responses n=469
Conclusion Any difficult-to-fill jobs conversation or skills gap dialogue should include three factors not just two: Education Experience and Wages.