Engineers, employers differ on availability of qualified job candidates

Aug. 15, 2013

Engineers and engineering employers have different opinions about whether not there are qualified candidates available for engineering jobs on offer.

For evidence, check out a recent poll taken by the jobs website Monster.com. Monster got responses from about 6,000 engineers and technicians that use its site. More than half (57%) claim the job market is saturated with qualified talent. Only 37% say employers are willing to support job training and just 11% are extremely confident they could find a new job in the next year.

But when Monster surveyed employers recruiting for engineering talent, only 39% thought they'd have any luck filling engineering jobs. They blaimed a lack of qualified candidates, highly specialized job requirements and non-competitive salary requirements.

By volume, mechanical and electrical engineering were the second and third most popular posted positions over the last four months. The top two regions for engineering job posts over the same time frame were Houston and New York City.

About the Author

Lee Teschler | Editor

Leland was Editor-in-Chief of Machine Design. He has 34 years of Service and holds a B.S. Engineering from the University of Michigan, a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan;, and a MBA from Cleveland State University. Prior to joining Penton, Lee worked as a Communications design engineer for the U.S. Government.