choose a skill cluster
skills & motivations.
This section provides a breakdown of the inherent skills, learned skills and motivations/aspirations for each skill cluster. Inherent skills and motivations/aspirations combined are commonly defined as “soft skills” in the market.
inherent skills
- 1. problem-solving and troubleshooting
- 2. communication and teamwork
- 3. ability to adapt to changing priorities
- 4. curiosity
- 5. analytical thinking
- 6. spatial awareness
- 7. creative thinking
- 8. hands-on learning
- 9. logic
- 10. persistence and resilience
- 11. collaboration
- 12. interest in technology
- 13. attention to details
learned skills
- 1. operational efficiency
- 2. civil engineering
- 3. technical tools
- 4. electrical engineering
- 5. mechanical engineering
- 6. equipment maintenance
- 7. facility maintenance
- 8. safety and compliance
motivations/aspirations
- 1. passion for working with machinery, systems and structures
- 2. continuous improvement
- 3. problem-solving and innovation
- 4. economic and efficiency goals
- 5. sustainability and environmental concerns
- 6. career advancement and financial incentives
- 7. professional challenge and intellectual stimulation
- 8. teamwork and collaboration
- 9. impact on society and quality of life
what it shows
The chart here illustrates the sub-level of learned skills required for engineering and maintenance in each of the 24 markets researched. The findings presented here are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.
need to know
- The engineering and maintenance skill cluster comprises a combination of design, maintenance and management skills.
- Some of the most common skills within the cluster include design (such as CAD and related tools) as well as standards-based, hands-on engineering experience.
skills supply.
what it shows
Skills supply data indicates the total number of individuals who have the skills required for engineering and maintenance in each of the 24 markets researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.
Use the chart to understand the availability of skills (“supply map”), availability of sub-skills (“skill type”), talent with recent job search activity (“active talent”), as well as the share of talent who prefer permanent or contract work (“preferred employment type”).
The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which talent supply has been impacted by the growth of AI.
need to know
- Of all clusters, only the engineering and maintenance cluster represents a reverse trend in terms of supply/demand balance. The supply of talent has decreased by approximately 2% this year, and demand experienced an unprecedented growth of 39%.
- Talent within this cluster have relatively low mobility rates, with only 12.5% of talent changing jobs over the last year. The amount of talent actively looking for new opportunities has grown from 18.6% last year to 38.5% this year, meaning such talent can be relatively high flight risks.
- Engineering and maintenance talent are also open to gaining AI skills; approximately 18% work with some AI tools, although employers are not requiring AI skills in their job postings.
skills demand.
what it shows
Skills demand data indicates job postings that require engineering and maintenance skills in each of the 24 markets we researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, and career sites.
See demand for each skill cluster by market, explore demand for sub-skills within each cluster or view the job vacancy ratio (JVR) — defined as hiring complexity — to understand market competitiveness for these skills. The higher the JVR, the more competitive it is to recruit.
The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which skills demand has been impacted by the growth of AI.
need to know
- It is most complex to hire engineering and maintenance talent in Czechia, the U.S. and Canada, with JVRs higher than 4%.
- Some of the most complex skills in this cluster to acquire are related to operational efficiency and work optimization, with JVRs averaging 5.4% and surpassing 7% in multiple markets, including the U.S. and Singapore.
- The share of job postings for this cluster that mention AI is only 1%, the lowest across all the skill clusters. When compared to how frequently talent in the cluster mention working with AI, this indicates a major misalignment and shows many companies are lagging in AI adoption for these roles.
compensation.
what it shows
The data included in this graph shows the average salary brackets in U.S. dollars for engineering and maintenance skills in the 24 markets examined by level. Compensation data is mapped and analyzed from combined sources providing current pay data.
Select the markets of interest to understand which salary ranges are considered competitive and in which markets you should recruit to stay within budget.
need to know
- Across most markets, engineering and maintenance talent receive good salaries, although they are at the lower end of skills in highest demand.
- This skill cluster has seen some growth in compensation across most markets, which can be attributed not only to increasing demand but also to how centralized this demand is, with limited remote/hybrid working opportunities.
- The markets with the highest salary growth include India, Mexico and Argentina.
remote & hybrid working.
what it shows
Remote working data shows the percentage of job postings that offer candidates remote or hybrid work for engineering and maintenance roles (noted as “demand”), as well as talent working preferences (noted as “supply”) in each of the 24 markets researched.
It is estimated that the actual share of remote/hybrid working opportunities is higher than advertised online. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.
need to know
- The engineering and maintenance cluster generally has the lowest share of remote/hybrid vacancies. That hasn’t changed this year, with remote opportunities decreasing by 59% and hybrid opportunities by 25%.
- Even with employer preferences moving away from remote/hybrid work, candidates seem to follow the trend of other clusters in terms of preferring flexible work, increasing by over 100% (although the baseline was relatively small).
- Out of all jobs across the cluster, only 2% are being advertised as remote and 5% as hybrid. Those jobs are mostly connected to design and similar types of skills.
gender diversity.
what it shows
Gender diversity data shows the current balance of male to female employees currently working in roles that require engineering and maintenance skills in each of the 24 markets researched. Findings are based on self-identified, normalized data from talent supply sources.
Use the chart to understand in which markets you are more likely to engage female talent with engineering and maintenance skills. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.
need to know
- The gender diversity gap is quite significant across engineering and maintenance skills, and has further widened from a ratio of 27% female talent to 73% male last year, to 22% female to 78% male this year (using self-identified gender data).
- Most disparities can be spotted in APAC, where India has seen the JVR for female talent increase by more than 340%.
- The biggest disparities in terms of gender diversity on a skill level can be seen across the skill category of technical tools; Hungary, Poland and Switzerland show JVRs approximately 5-6 times higher for female talent in these categories.
take a deep dive into the in-demand skills research and find your competitive talent advantage.