Employers in India and across the globe are finding it difficult to fill vacant positions despite the recovery in job markets due to a talent mismatch and lack of skill, staffing services firm Manpower said.

According to Manpower Inc's fifth annual talent shortage survey, 31 per cent of employers across the globe are still struggling to fill vacant positions, while in India, the talent shortage figure stood at 16 per cent.

Employers who are facing the maximum difficulty in finding the right people are based in Japan (76 per cent), Brazil (64 per cent), Argentina (53 per cent), Singapore (53 per cent), Poland (51 per cent)and Australia (45 per cent).

"We are seeing a 'jobless' recovery in many parts of the world, yet where there are jobs available, employers are having difficulty filling positions. The issue is not about the number of potential candidates, but rather a talent mismatch, because there are not enough sufficiently skilled people in the right places at the right times," Manpower India Managing Director Sanjay Pandit said.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the countries that are finding it difficult to find the right talent to fill jobs are in Japan (76 per cent), Singapore (53 per cent), Australia (45 per cent), Hong Kong (44 per cent), Taiwan (41 per cent), China (40 per cent), New Zealand (30 per cent) and India (16 per cent).

The report further said that in the Asia-Pacific region, talent shortages mirrored those of the rest of the world, with 41 per cent of the region's employers indicating they are having difficulty filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent in their markets.

This is a nine percentage point increase when compared to a previous survey conducted in 2009.

"Employers are seeking ever more specific skill sets and are less willing to engage in anticipatory hiring. This all adds up to a very challenging and frustrating time for employers and job-seekers alike," Pandit added.

The survey, which covered more than 35,000 employers across 36 countries, pointed out that the positions where employers are having the most trouble filling globally are skilled manual trades people, technicians, engineers, sales representatives and management executives.

The report also found that skilled manual trades, cleaners and domestic aid, accounting and finance staff, doctors and non-nursing health financial and sales representatives are the top five positions where Indian employers are finding it difficult to hire suitable talent.

The study suggested "employers broaden their search for candidates to include industry migrants, location migrants, role changers and workforce entrants. Training and development are key to successfully tapping into these talent pools."