Talent shortages are at a 12-year high and new skills are appearing as quickly as old ones disappear. To ensure the long-term success of their company and to provide people with ongoing employment security, organisations must accelerate their efforts to upskill and reskill employees for the new world of work.

How people choose to work is changing. People are looking for flexibility, increased autonomy, new learning opportunities, and the ability to better blend their work and personal lives. Full-time, permanent jobs still dominate the labour market, but workers are increasingly opting for less traditional ways of working.

Rarely a week goes past without news reports about Britain’s struggling high street. Some of the country’s best-known brands have gone into administration over the last few years; while others have had to undergo significant restructures to secure their futures.

All companies are on a digital transformation journey. Technology is creating infinite opportunities – impacting the way organisations communicate with customers, allocate resources, structure their business, and more.

It goes without saying that structural changes are having a significant impact on the UK labour market. Against a backdrop of tepid economic growth and ongoing uncertainty, employment has continued to stand at record high levels, while unemployment remains low. This is creating a tight labour market, with immense competition for talent.

ManpowerGroup is proud to sponsor UNLEASH in London on 19 and 20 March 2019. As Europe’s #1 HR event, it will showcase smarter ways of working and latest business transformation insights to thousands of decision makers, visionaries, technology buyers, and disruptors.

Each quarter, we ask 2,100+ UK employers about their hiring plans for the months ahead. We ask if they plan on recruiting additional workers, reducing the size of their workforce, or maintaining headcount.

In today’s Skills Revolution, technology is transforming organisations, and skills needs are changing rapidly, accelerating a global talent shortage that threatens productivity, sustainability and growth.