Wisconsin / The Skills Gap Myth: only a few occupations may see a skills shortage in coming years find

Researchers say Wisconsin has more educated workers than jobs

A second economic study shows that Wisconsin’s sluggish economy isn’t being plagued by a skills gap between job openings and job seekers.

The team of researchers from UW-Madison, working on behalf of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council, found that “only a few occupations may see a skills shortage in coming years.”

Workers with in-demand skills will include computer and IT workers, human resources experts, physicians and surgeons, lawyers, pharmacists and physical therapists.

At the same time, Wisconsin will have a glut of workers with associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in other fields who will be looking for high-skill work.

Got a Degree? You’re Out of Luck

The researchers from the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs predicted that by 2020 there would be up to a half-million more workers in Wisconsin with at least some college education than job openings that require that level of education.

That’s because 71% of the 1 million new jobs projected to open up between 2010 and 2020 will require a high school diploma or less.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

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