Last year, Workopolis surveyed 256 Canadian employers about their hiring intentions and challenges. One-third (32 per cent) told us that they planned to increase staff over the next 12 months. However 68 per cent said that it is very or somewhat difficult to find the people that they need to hire.

71 per cent of employers surveyed say a shortage of qualified candidates is having an impact on their ability to meet client needs. This is up by 5 per cent from a similar survey we conducted in 2012, where 66 per cent of senior executives said that a shortage of skilled workers was impacting their business.

Is the so called “skills shortage” to blame? Or are employers too demanding? The jury is still squabbling over that one. See: There is no “skills gap.” Employers are just cheapskates

The team over at CareerCast has released a list of the 10 jobs (via SHRM) that will be the most difficult to fill in 2016. So, there might be a job for you in one of these fields if you possess the required qualifications.

These are the 10 jobs that are expected to be especially difficult to fill this year due to a range of reasons, “including BLS-projected talent shortages in each field, retirements due to an aging workforce, and above-average growth in demand.”

The 10 hardest jobs to fill:

Data Scientist

The hiring boom in data science is difficult to measure, say analysts, “because the field is so new that the BLS doesn’t yet track specific hiring needs.” But CareerCast says that more than 4 million jobs are expected to need filling next year. We don’t have specific information for Canada, but certain sectors aside, data is often comparable.

[Technology and digital media jobs on Workopolis]

Electrical Engineer

Randstad US recently estimated that there are 17 openings for every electrical engineering candidate, says CareerCast. And another recently released study, Engineering Labour Market in Canada: Projections to 2020, commissioned by Engineers Canada and sponsored by Randstad Engineering, reveals that “Canada is facing a short supply of engineers and that supply and demand imbalances in the sector are becoming more serious, specifically in Ontario.”

[Engineering jobs on Workopolis]

General and Operations Manager

This position is expected to see a 12.4 per cent growth in demand by 2022. That growth rate translates into 613,000 open positions to fill for general and operations managers over the next seven years, says CareerCast. (No specific information for Canada.)

[Manager jobs on Workopolis]

Home Health Aide

As a direct result of the aging population, hiring in the US is projected to rise by 48 per cent over the next seven years, and nearly 600,000 positions will need to be filled to meet the expected demand. Meanwhile, Ontario alone is expected to see a shortage of 5,000 homecare workers in 2016. Unfortunately, the low median salary of around $35,000 means many people aren’t exactly rushing to apply.

[Healthcare jobs on Workopolis]

Information Security Analyst

The expanded use of cloud-based technology is the driving force behind the demand for this job, according to CareerCast. “Microsoft reported that by the beginning of next year, North American companies will need to employ at least 2.7 million cloud-computing workers, including information security analysts, and labor analysts say the supply can’t meet that demand.”

[Technology and digital media jobs on Workopolis]

Marketing Manager

An explosion in digital marketing means marketing managers are in very short supply, according to the BLS, and, CareerCast reports, “marketing is one of the skill sets most in demand by college recruiters, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.” Marketing manager is also consistently listed among the jobs Canadian employer are having the toughest time filling.

[Marketing jobs on Workopolis]

Medical Services Manager

The BLS reportedly projects 73,300 new hires will be needed in the field in the US by 2022, and predicts a 23 per cent overall increase in employment. (No specific numbers for Canada.)

[Healthcare jobs on Workopolis]

Physical Therapist

CareerCast says, “The American Physical Therapy Association estimates that in 2016, demand for full-time physical therapists will exceed 229,000, with a pool of candidates of around 196,000—creating a gap of 33,000 unfilled jobs.” Canada also is seeing large growth and a predicted shortage. This is again due to an aging population.

[Healthcare jobs on Workopolis]

Registered Nurse

The BLS projects a 19 per cent growth rate over the next seven years as well as over half a million positions opening up due to retirement. Canada, meanwhile, has been facing concerns about a nursing shortage for years. Karima Velji, president of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), was recently quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying “Immediate action is needed to stave off the potentially long-lasting trend of a shrinking [registered nurse] work force and its consequences for population health.”

[Healthcare jobs on Workopolis]

Software Engineer

According to CareerCast, The BLS estimates 222,600 software engineering jobs will need to be filled in the US by 2022, while The Conference Board estimates there will be three jobs available for every new college graduate from a computer science program in 2016. In Canada, meanwhile, a recent report said we will need 182,000 people to meet the growing demand for IT positions, though it seems some out of work IT professionals are wondering where exactly those jobs are supposed to be.

[Technology and digital media jobs on Workopolis]