Employers have shown the highest hiring intentions in India but the talent shortage shows no sign of easing, according to US-based employment-services provider ManpowerGroup. A survey of nearly 45,000 employers across 43 countries showed 69% of employers reported difficulty filling roles, a 15-year high.

Employers have shown the strongest hiring prospects in the U.S. (+48%), India (+44%) and Canada (+40%), according to the report. 

Hiring outlook improvement

India is also among the top markets which have reported the strongest year-on-year improvements in the hiring outlook. India (+40%) is only behind Netherlands (+41%) and the UK (+39%).

Hiring intentions

Among the Asia-Pacific countries, in comparison to the previous quarter, hiring plans strengthened in three countries - India, Hong Kong, and Japan and weakened in four - Australia, China, Singapore and Japan.

The strongest outlooks are in India (+44%), Taiwan (+21%) and Japan (+16%), and the most cautious plans are reported in Singapore (+1%) and Hong Kong (+8%).

India also reported record high hiring intentions, improving +37 percentage points compared to Q3, and +40% on the previous year.

Talent shortage

69% of employers globally cannot find the skills that they need, with employers in India (89%), Romania (84%), and Singapore (84%) reporting the greatest difficulty.

“Continued talent shortages mean many businesses are prioritizing retaining and training workers with the skills they need to succeed as the economic recovery continues," Jonas Prising, chief executive officer of ManpowerGroup, said in a statement.

For talent

About 40% of respondents said they offer training and skills development to attract and retain talent. A similar share was reported offering flexible work schedules. Nearly a third increased wages. Others offered signing bonuses and more vacation time.

Out of 43 countries surveyed, 15 countries -- focused in Europe and North America -- reported their highest hiring intentions since the survey began in 1962.