77% of employers in the Asia Pacific region are struggling to find skilled talent, according to the 2025 ManpowerGroup's latest Talent Shortage Survey. The number hasincreased significantly from 45% in 2014 and exceeds the global average of 74%.
APAC talent shortage
The report revealed that the APAC IT sector was experiencing the highest level of talent scarcity, with 81% of employers facing talent shortages.
"The persistent talent shortages highlighted by this report suggests the talent shortage has become a structural feature of the regional labour market which employers must navigate, especially in the IT sector where the shortage is being most heavily realised," said François Lançon, regional president of Asia Pacific & Middle East, ManpowerGroup.
According to the report, 35% of companies focused on upskilling and reskilling their current workforce to bridge skill gaps.
Employer response
The survey reveals that organisations are not sitting idly by in the face of talent scarcity. They are proactively addressing the issue with a range of measures, including upskilling and reskilling current employees (35%), increasing wages (30%), and offering more schedule flexibility (26%).
One-fourth (25%) target new talent pools, and 21% offer more location flexibility.
"As businesses navigate these ongoing talent challenges, it is more crucial than ever that industry leaders, governments and educational institutions collaborate to ensure that future generations are equipped with relevant skills," Lançon said.
Talent shortage survey
The survey, which gathered insights from 10,095 employers across APAC, indicates that the most difficult-to-find skills are IT and data (32%), Engineering (27%), and Sales and marketing (24%).
