AI skills are among the hardest-to-find competencies in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (APME), according to ManpowerGroup's 2026 Global Talent Shortage Survey.
"The rise of AI has fundamentally reshaped both the skills landscape and the hiring process in APME. Today, AI skills are no longer niche capabilities—they are foundational to workforce competitiveness across the region. As organisations accelerate adoption, leaders must operate across multiple horizons simultaneously," says François Lançon, regional president, Asia Pacific & Middle East, ManpowerGroup.
Hiring challenges
The study, surveying more than 39,000 employers across 41 countries, including 12,193 across 10 APME markets, has revealed that among the hardest-to-find competencies are AI Model & Application Development (27%), AI Literacy (26%), and traditional IT & Data (18%).
Talent scarcity continues to intensify across APME, with 71% of employers reporting difficulty filling open roles, nearly equal to the global average of 72%.
In the Asia Pacific, Japan (84%) and India (82%) experience the most severe hiring constraints, while China (48%) is the least affected regionally and globally.
Lançon urges organisations: "They need to support workers through rapid transformation in the now, ensuring they can adapt confidently to AI-driven change. While also preparing for the next by building deeper, future-ready AI capabilities that their organisations will rely on in the years ahead. At the same time, the hiring process is changing at an accelerated pace, and they now need to build, buy or borrow the skills to recruit 'AI-enhanced candidates'."
