The average time to hire rose by one day in the first quarter, according to a report released by AMS, a global provider of RPO. and the HR research firm The Josh Bersin Co. It took an average of 44 days to hire people in the first quarter, up from 43 days reported a year ago.

In addition, the report showed a widening gap between easy-to-fill and difficult-to-fill roles across all sectors. While some jobs are filled in 14 days, many remain vacant for two to three months or more.

The report looked at data from eight industries and more than 25 countries across the globe.

“As our data shows, time to hire has risen consistently for the last four years,” said Jim Sykes, global managing director of client operations at AMS. “Make no mistake, the hiring market is not going to get easier any time soon. HR and talent leaders will need to continue to innovate and transform their strategies for acquiring, developing and retaining talent.”

According to the report, energy and defense have the longest times-to-hire at more than 67 days, with slower times to hire predicted for this year. The industry with the next-longest average time to hire was professional services at 47 days. Filling tech roles also remained challenging.

“Whatever may be happening in the world economy currently, it is clear that supply and demand are not in sync in terms of the type of skills available and the gaps that need to be filled,” said Josh Bersin, global HR research analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Co. “The real trailblazers in HR and talent acquisition have recognized this and are thinking outside the box when it comes to developing people, cross-pollinating roles from elsewhere, and actively keeping succession and new-role pipelines full.”