Information technology industry has serious talent shortage

ManpowerGroup's Talent Shortage Report 2025 found that about 77% of employers in the Asia- Pacific (APAC) region are having trouble finding talent with the right skills, with IT skills being the top priority.

Ngành công nghệ thông tin, dữ liệu thiếu hụt nhân tài - Ảnh 1. — The most difficult skills to recruit in the Asia- Pacific region - Photo: ManpowerGroup

81% of IT businesses lack talent

ManpowerGroup's survey, which gathered insights from 10,095 employers across Asia Pacific, found that the most difficult-to-find specialist skills were information technology and data (32%), engineering (27%), and marketing and sales (24%).

Among them, information technology is facing the most serious talent shortage, with 81% of businesses in this field saying they are facing scarcity.

This reflects the growing demand for highly skilled workers as businesses increasingly focus on technology and digital transformation.

“In a talent shortage market, employers must act quickly and decisively to focus on the skill sets needed for their business or demonstrate a commitment to developing internal talent through targeted training and upskilling programs,” said François Lançon, president, Asia Pacific and Middle East, ManpowerGroup.

The report also found that the need for internal training and development programs is being taken seriously, with 35% of companies saying they are focusing on upskilling and reskilling their current workforce to close the skills gap.

In addition, organizations are taking many approaches to address talent shortages. Of these, 30% of organizations and businesses are using salary increases, 26% are applying more flexible working models, 25% are looking for new sources of talent, and 21% are offering flexible solutions regarding work locations...

At the same time, according to Mr. Lançon, as businesses face the current challenges of talent shortages, the most important thing is tripartite cooperation between government , business leaders and training institutions to ensure that future generations will be equipped with the right skills.

Ngành công nghệ thông tin, dữ liệu thiếu hụt nhân tài - Ảnh 2. — Garment workers in Binh Duong province have returned to work at the factory after the 2025 Tet holiday - Photo: B.Son

Vietnam lacks human resources for production, processing and manufacturing.

Sharing about the labor shortage in Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Thu Trang - Manpower brand director - said that according to observations, the labor shortage, especially in the short term, is most clearly seen in the manufacturing and processing industry.

"One of the solutions that Manpower Vietnam has applied effectively is to directly provide rapid basic vocational skills training to workers before they start working.

This method not only helps increase job opportunities for unskilled workers, but also saves time and costs for businesses," Ms. Trang added.

In the long term, Ms. Trang said Manpower Vietnam is and will actively cooperate with training institutions to provide career guidance and nurture talent early. Thereby contributing to building a sustainable domestic workforce.