Survey finds U.S. labor shortage severe

Single Sign-On: You can use Facebook account to log in to LasVegasSun.com. (We will use your first and last name from your profile.)
Trusted Commenting: Facebook connected users automatically become trusted commenters.

Monday, June 26, 2000 | 11:27 a.m.

More than half of human resource executives say their biggest challenge is to find and keep skilled workers, according to a survey issued today in Las Vegas.

Also, 80 percent of human resource managers characterize the U.S. labor shortage as "bad," but they "still manage to find people," according to a one-time survey conducted by the Chicago-based employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Ten percent pronounced the shortage "severe, at the risk of turning away business."

"There may be some slowdown in the economy, but if you talk to HR people, it's very difficult out there to find enough people," said Challenger spokesman Herbert Rozoff. "They don't see a slowdown."

The survey was released as the Society for Human Resource Management begins its annual convention in Las Vegas this week. Challenger interviewed about 200 human resource executives who will attend the conference.