One in five Swiss businesses have difficulty in hiring the staff it needs, an improvement over last year, according to ManpowerGroup Switzerland.

The ManpowerGroup research also shows that the 1 in 5 figure is the lowest number registered in Switzerland since the launch of the study on talent shortages in 2006. In 2015, 41% of employers were unable to fill vacancies, 21% higher than this year.

Of the ten most sought-after jobs in Switzerland in 2016, skilled trade workers are top of the list for the seventh year in a row.

Meanwhile, the study also showed that one of the main problems that recruiters face is the lack of hard skills, specifically IT skills, language (28%), lack of applicants (24%) and lack of experience (18%).

Moreover, providing additional training and development for existing staff (Upskilling) is the preferred solution for tackling recruitment problems by 67% of the employers surveyed, while 32% of them were considering implementing this idea in 2015.

The increase in upskilling is important because it allows employees to increase their adaptability and employability and for employers to retain their employees," Herbert Beuchat, CEO ad interim of Manpower Suisse, said. 

The study also showed that in 2016, 16% of employers did not have any strategy to overcome a talent shortage, against 43% in 2015.