Even with a declining employment rate, many employers are saying that it is getting difficult for them to fill up their job vacancies.

This is proven by a survey conducted by a professional staffing service. This poll revealed that 62 percent of businesses are having a hard time filling up their job vacancies.

The survey was conducted by Express Employment Professionals on companies that are looking for qualified people to handle their open positions. They found out that when the same questions were asked in 2015, 60 percent said it is 'somewhat difficult' or very difficult. In the said poll, the percentage of those who answered 'very difficult' rose from 14 to 20 percent.

One of the questions asked was "What is the primary reason that your open jobs are not filled?" The number one answer was "Lack of available applicants." This comprised 36 percent of the respondents.

Another 25 percent blamed it on "lack of experience" and 20 percent answered "lack of hard skills." About 13 percent of the respondents said "lack of soft skills."  In other words, more than half of those businesses surveyed said they have a hard time filling up their job vacancies because job applicants lack the necessary skills and experience.

But another report indicated that there is another angle in this 'lack of skills and experience' factor. This report stated that when business are pressed for more evidence, approximately 10 percent of them admit that actually, the job candidates are not willing to accept the wage level that businesses are offering for said job openings.

In other words, that is not a problem of shortage of skills and experience but more of the employers not willing to pay the job applicant the going rate of the position.

In addition, a close scrutiny of a Manpower data would indicate that employers are not filling their job vacancies with entry-level applicants fresh out of school, but those with experience who can immediately contribute to the company's efforts without the need for long hours of training.