skills shortage
Workforce capability gap
A skills shortage exists when employers cannot find enough workers with the qualifications or abilities needed for available positions.
The term often appears in discussions of education policy, immigration, and workforce development: The tech industry faces a chronic skills shortage in cybersecurity.
Whether a shortage reflects genuinely scarce talent or simply wages too low to attract candidates is frequently debated.
Learning trade through employment
- vocationalRelated to skilled work
- reskillingLearning new work capabilities
- upskillingLearning new work abilities
- on-the-job trainingLearning skills while employed
internship · certification · accreditation · trade schools · bootcamp · retraining · professional development · continuing education
Seeking new personnel
- retentionContinued holding or possession
- understaffedInsufficient employees for workload
- turnoverSales volume or attrition
- labor forceEmployed and job-seeking population
job market · talent pipeline · vacancy · hiring · headcount · attrition · staffing · human capital
Unfilled space between
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- dearthAcute shortage of something
- lackDeficiency or absence
insufficiency · deficiency · undersupply · paucity · void · inadequacy · unavailability · crisis
Skill from extensive practice
- proficiencySkilled performance level
- competenceAdequate ability to function
- aptitudeInnate capability
- talentInborn aptitude
specialized knowledge · technical skills · soft skills · digital literacy · craftsmanship · know-how · qualification · experience
Organized provision of treatment
- nursingMedical caretaking profession
- engineeringDesigning functional systems scientifically
- ITComputer systems management
- cybersecurityProtection of digital systems
construction · manufacturing · trades · hospitality · logistics · teaching · welding · plumbing
apprenticeship
Learning trade through employment
- vocationalRelated to skilled work
- reskillingLearning new work capabilities
- upskillingLearning new work abilities
on-the-job training · internship · certification · accreditation · trade schools · bootcamp · retraining · professional development · continuing education · curriculum
recruitment
Seeking new personnel
- retentionContinued holding or possession
- understaffedInsufficient employees for workload
- turnoverSales volume or attrition
labor force · job market · talent pipeline · vacancy · hiring · headcount · attrition · staffing · human capital · brain drain
gap
Unfilled space between
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- dearthAcute shortage of something
lack · insufficiency · deficiency · undersupply · paucity · void · inadequacy · unavailability · crisis · squeeze
expertise
Skill from extensive practice
- proficiencySkilled performance level
- competenceAdequate ability to function
- aptitudeInnate capability
talent · specialized knowledge · technical skills · soft skills · digital literacy · craftsmanship · know-how · qualification · experience · skillset
healthcare
Organized provision of treatment
- nursingMedical caretaking profession
- engineeringDesigning functional systems scientifically
- ITComputer systems management
cybersecurity · construction · manufacturing · trades · hospitality · logistics · teaching · welding · plumbing · electrical
- career problemsunderemployment, overqualification, skills gap, job displacement, career stagnation
skills shortageunemployment
Being without paid work
joblessness · underemployment · job scarcity · credential inflation
skill, skilled, skillful, skilful, skillfully, skilfully, unskilled, deskill, deskilling