The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that the region will end 2017 with an average unemployment rate of 8.4%. Two years ago, the rate was 6.6%.

However, there are professions with more demand than supply, and several companies complain on the fact that they must look for talent in other places, as they cannot find it within their borders.

ManpowerGroup periodically develops a survey in which over 42,000 executives from 43 countries state what are the jobs most difficult to fill.

The following are the most wanted profiles in Latin America during this quarter (by order of demand):

1. Workers certified in a certain craft (mechanics, electricians, chefs, butchers)
2. Technicians
3. Sales representatives
4. Machine and production operators
5. Administrative and back-office staff
6. Engineers
7. Executive managers and corporate management
8. Accountancy and finances employees
9. IT staff
10. Drivers

One of the main problems when hiring people for these jobs is the lack of experience, say the executives surveyed. Other difficulties are added, that vary per country. For instance, in Costa Rica and Guatemala the candidates tend to lack technical skills. In Panama, there are not enough people interested in getting those jobs and, in Mexico, the wages offered are below the expectations of these people.

In the case of technicians, the lack of candidates has become a problem increasingly relevant in several countries of the region. Chile needs them specialized in sectors such as renewable energies. Mexico needs them in production sectors, such as automotive and electricity. In Peru, technological institutes have been saying for years that the country needs 300,000 every year and that only 100,000 graduate annually.

Another obstacle companies have is that there are few candidates who master more than one language.

Transport is one of the sectors with the largest growth of employment. The increase occurred mostly in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. “Transport still has a long way to go in Latin America”, says Juan Carlos Martínez Lázaro, Economics and Country Analysis professor of the IE Business School.  He explains that subsectors, such as airport transport, are well developed in the region, and are of good quality. But others, such as maritime or roads transport still have wide gaps to close, and railway transport is “way below the standards of other regions of the world”. The question to be made is what will be the impact of new technologies on these jobs. Will the skills linked to transportation have a future in a context of strong technological development?

The financial services sector also has increased its workforce over 1.5%. While in Europe bank mergers and the expansion of electronic banking have destroyed thousands of jobs, according to several official statistics, in Latin America the sector lacks staff. “The region is going through a process of expansion of the access of bank services. Bank services are been expanded to sectors that used to operate under informality”, explained Martinez.

In most of the nations in the region, less than 60% of the population uses bank products or services, according to the Latin American Federation of Banks. In developed countries, this figure goes up to 85%. Latin American governments have promoted the use of financial entities to tackle informality and encourage saving, according to the expert. But the levels remain low, so the bank network is expected to keep on growing and adding staff.

“However, there is a problem there, which is technological revolution. This revolution is already occurring in Europe and is arriving at Latin America”. Therefore, in the medium term, the demand of these profiles will fall. Indeed, it seems to be a situation that will change radically in the medium term.

Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Paraguay have led the creation of employment in construction, which has grown 1.5%, according to recent data from ILO.

Meanwhile Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica and Dominican Republic had a growth of employment in commerce, close to 1.5%.  However, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warn that these trends will change in the years to come, and that we need to get ready for those changes.

The automation of industries will cause manufacture and construction to lose importance, favoring services and commerce.

Companies sense this phenomenon. Around 90% of the executives surveyed by ManpowerGroup believe that their companies will receive the impact of digitalization in the next two years.

This means that the skills currently needed will not be the skills demanded in the near future and that certain crafts and professions that are really necessary today, will cease to exist.

The OECD estimates that by 2030 the region will lose 3.4 million jobs, particularly in mining, manufacture, construction and administration.

In order to adapt, working on cognitive, systematical, technical and complex problems’ solving skills will be mandatory, as physical skills will only be needed in one out of three jobs.

The future of work is already among us, and the demand of skills is quickly changing.