Express Employment Professionals’ America Employed and Canada Employed series explore the state of employment in North America, including everything from hiring expectations and HR challenges to job seekers’ optimism and shrinking the skills gap. Learn about the latest insights uncovered in a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
Despite an optimistic hiring outlook, U.S. and Canadian companies expect to face several challenges this year. Among these challenges is the worsening skills gap as hiring decision-makers believe prolonged unemployment leads to a deterioration of hard and soft skills, particularly among younger adults ages 18–26.
Thirty-six percent of U.S. hiring decision-makers report their companies lack the tools to find the right candidates for their job openings, and 32% currently have open positions they cannot fill. The inability to fill open positions is commonly attributed to factors including:
- A lack of applicants with relevant experience (39%)
- A shortage of applicants with hard skills (38%)
- A deficit of applicants with soft skills (33%)
- A general lack of applicants (33%)
The top challenge Canadian hiring decision-makers anticipate facing this year is difficulty finding qualified candidates (46%). Among companies that had open positions in the past year, 54% say it has been difficult to find the right candidates, and 58% say it’s more difficult to find the right candidates now than it was five years ago. Additional challenges include:
- Navigating artificial intelligence tools (31%)
- Increased competition in the job market (25%)
- Not being able to offer competitive pay (25%)
Read more about the latest employment insights in America Employed at ExpressPros.com and Canada Employed at ExpressPros.ca.
Last Updated on February 17, 2025
