���TRUTHS�ABOUT�THE�SKILLS�GAPTHAT�MAY�SHOCK�YOU

What happens when the jobs are there, but the skills needed for those jobs aren’t? We dug into the

data to discover the major culprits of today’s widening skills gap, and the results weren’t pre�y. When it comes to on-the-job training, competitive compensation, and career preparation, our society

is failing – and the reasons why may shock you.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

Employers aren’t investing in necessary job skills. More than60 percent of applicants believe necessary job skills — which half of employers think applicants lack — will be learned once on the

job, though that’s usually not the reality.

Colleges and universities say on-the-job training is a major fix for the skills gap. An overwhelming 73 percent of academia

believe companies offering more training opportunities will get more job applicants.

73%73%

Employers are missing critical skills in their workplaces — but refuse to train employees. Only 24 percent of employers believe gaps in on-the-job training have contributed to the skills gap. The

question for employers remains, then: How are employees to develop the required job-specific skills without receiving on-the-job training?

24%24%

Employers aren’t promoting their own employees into hard-to-fill jobs. 35 percent of employers think posting more stringent requirements for entry-level jobs contributes to skills gaps at their own companies, yet only 33 percent say they offer

internal re-skilling or cross-training to help fill these gaps.

COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION

Employers are using high unemployment as an excuse not to pay. Though the unemployment rate has now returned to pre-recession

levels, 75 percent of employers mistakenly believe they can still afford to be selective in their job offers. In fact, 35 percent actually

believe they can pay people less.

Employees are ge�ing paid even less than in the past.37 percent of employers think a gap in wage expectations is one of

the biggest causes for the skills gap today, yet some say they’ve actually adjusted wages down.

CAREER PREPARATION

We’re not giving our youth the career path guidance they need. 23 percent of workers say they received no information or help in deciding which career path to pursue a�er high-school graduation.

41 percent wish they had received more guidance.

Academic institutions aren’t teaching the right skills — because they don’t know what they are. Ninety-six percent of those in

academia think they should talk to potential employers to discover and teach the job skills employers value most, yet only 45 percent

claim to be doing this consistently.

45%45%

Workers aren’t learning new skills — because they can’t afford to.With a mountain of debt already a consideration, 61 percent say the expense of paying for school is the biggest barrier when it comes to

ge�ing further training.

61%61%

Employers are hiring people they know can’t do the job.61 percent of employers claim to have hired a person who they

knew did not fully meet the stated job requirements.

Want to find out more? Get the full story at www.careerbuilder.com/skillsgapstudy — and see

how you can be part of the solution.

ABOUT�CAREERBUILDER®�CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and a�ract great talent. Its

online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1 million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world’s top employers, providing everything from labor market intelligence

to talent management so�ware and other recruitment solutions. Owned by Ganne� Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States,

Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

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