This year’s hardest jobs to fill revealed

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Are you having trouble finding someone to fill the job? Difficulty in filling certain positions can be a result of a mixture of factors according to CareerCast. Rapid industry growth, not having enough skilled labour, and a lack of new graduates in the profession are all possible causes.

CareerCast has revealed the 10 toughest jobs to fill in 2018 in its annual study, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduate employment data, trade and professional association statistics, and CareerCast's own database of job listings.

While the study focuses mainly on the US, some of the trends and insights can be applied locally.

The aging population is a common problem in big cities around the world, and Hong Kong is no exception. As a result, five out of these 10 jobs are in the healthcare sector because of the increased health awareness of the public, as well as long hours and draining nature of the job. For example, both nurse practitioners and physical therapists are two of the toughest jobs to fill in 2018 despite the promising growth outlook of over 30%.

Similarly, the demands for information security analyst and application software developer has skyrocketed, thanks to the unparalleled growth of fintech market and big data-enabled technologies, making the two jobs being some of the hardest positions to fill.

On the other hand, construction laborer and truck driver made it to the list due to the lack of new blood entering the industries. Unappealing wages and limited career prospect are among the reasons why younger workforce refuse to enter the industries. Meanwhile, the demand is still huge with the all ongoing infrastructure development and high-flying local carriers like Lalamove and GoGoVan are actively seeking workers for expansion.

Below are the 10 hardest jobs to fill selected by CareerCast.

1. Application Software Developer Overall Rating: 202 Median Salary: $101,790 Projected Growth: 31.00%

Benefited from the latest mobile technology development, application software developer is predicted to have a promising projected growth of 31%, the highest among the other tech-related jobs on the list.

2. Construction Labourer Overall Rating: 668 Median Salary: $33,450 Projected Growth: 12.00%

Shortage of skilled labour is one of the challenges faced by the construction industry while the demand remains high due to ever growing economic development. Major projects include the government’s housing, railway and intracity development strategies.

3. Financial Analyst Overall Rating: 282 Median Salary: $84,300 Projected Growth: 11.00%

According to the report, demand for financial planning is expected to spike with the Baby Boom generation approaching retirement

4. Home Health Aide Overall Rating: 469 Median Salary: $23,130 Projected Growth: 47.00%

Unsurprisingly, healthcare related jobs dominate the list, and home health aide has the highest projected growth at a staggering 47%. High demand is largely due to the aging population, but is also fueled by low wages and demanding work.

5. Information Security Analyst Overall Rating: 126 Median Salary: $92,600 Projected Growth: 28.00%

Social media technology and fintech have been the focus of many corporates and banking institutes over the recent years. However, the lack of cybersecurity has raised concerns about data protection and compliance, leading to the demand for information security analyst.

6. Medical Services Manager Overall Rating: 112 Median Salary: $96,540 Projected Growth: 20.00%

Another job in the healthcare sector. Although the role is more on the administration and management side, the eight-year growth is forecast to be strong alongside the increase in hospitals, clinics, elderly homes and other medical offices.

7. Nurse Practitioner Overall Rating: 369 Median Salary: $110,930 Projected Growth: 31.00%

Long working hours and the demanding nature of the job make it less appealing to the workforce. Besides, the profession requires substantial training, resulting in a lag between the rise in demand and the rise in supply.

8. Personal Care Aide Overall Rating: 454 Median Salary: $23,100 Projected Growth: 39.00%

Boomers steeping into their retirement solely contributes to the significant projected growth in this profession. However, low wages may be a problem as this is the lowest paid job on the list.

9. Physical Therapist Overall Rating: 198 Median Salary: $84,020 Projected Growth: 34.00%

With a projection of 34%, physical therapist is one of the fields that have the high demand in the Jobs Rated report. The American Physical Therapy Association has forecast shortages in the profession. However, retaining current workers should be the priority than hiring new force according to the report, hinting that the turnover rate in the sector may also be high.

10. Truck Driver Overall Rating: 665 Median Salary: $42,480 Projected Growth: 6.00%

Truck driver has the lowest growth outlooks of the 10 jobs on the list, but it is in very high immediate demand as a result of employment and skills gaps. The prevalence of online shopping as well as infrastructure development has also perpetuated the recent growth in demand.

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