Skills Gaps Still Evident in U.S. Labor Market
Despite a decade of hiring, there are still significant skills gaps evident in the U.S. labor market. A recent report from the U.S. Chamber identified the most impacted industries, highlighting significant gaps across the financial services and professional and business services industries.
Both of these sectors have numerous open roles but struggle to find qualified candidates to fill them.
“The industries with lower-than-average unemployment rates have fewer experienced candidates to choose from when filling their job openings,” the report states. “This situation leads to heightened competition among businesses in these industries as they vie for the limited pool of available talent.”
Top 5 Cybersecurity Jobs to Apply for Now
- Cyber Training Specialist, Senior, Booz Allen, Fort Meade ($84,600 – $193,000)
- Cyber Triage Analyst, Booz Allen, Stafford ($60,400 – $137,000)
- Cyber Threat Analyst (DCO), Alaka`ina Foundation Family of Companies, Honolulu
- Director Technology & Cyber Risk, Comerica, Farmington Hills
- Cyber Security Analyst, Brooksource, Indianapolis
One area that is particularly impacted by skills gaps is cybersecurity. A new report from CyberSeek found that there are only enough workers to fill 83% of available cybersecurity jobs. With 1.25 million workers in cybersecurity roles nationwide, an additional 265,000 workers are needed to meet current staffing requirements.
“After the pandemic-fueled IT hiring spree, cybersecurity job demand has stabilized close to pre-pandemic levels,” says Will Markow, vice president of applied research at Lightcast.
Several factors contribute to the skills gap in cybersecurity, including layoffs and belt-tightening in the tech industry and the accelerated adoption of web-based services during the pandemic. With more daily activities moving online, the need for cybersecurity professionals has increased to ensure security.
Scams are also on the rise, with the Better Business Bureau reporting an increase in the average amount lost by victims of investment scams. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is also widening the skills gap for cybersecurity workers, with cybersecurity job postings requiring AI skills increasing over the past year.
Developing Cybersecurity Talent
“Narrowing the supply-and-demand gap for cybersecurity talent is a significant challenge and a promising opportunity,” says Amy Kardel, vice president of strategy and market development, academic at CompTIA.
Developing skilled cybersecurity workers requires changes in mindset and approach, seeking candidates from alternate pathways, and focusing on retraining and upskilling current employees. Rodney Petersen, director of NICE at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, emphasizes the need for diversified approaches to developing talent outside of traditional college routes.
The report highlights opportunities for tech workers at all levels, with increased job postings for entry-level cybercrime analysts, mid-level incident and intrusion analysts, and advanced level cybersecurity engineers.
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