scarce skills

USAGE SUMMARY

"scarce skills" is a grammatically correct phrase and can be used in written English.
It refers to skills or abilities that are in short supply or high demand. Example: The company is looking to hire new employees with scarce skills such as coding and data analysis.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

That is a hazardous, messy and costly business, requiring scarce skills.

The Economist

They are chasing scarce skills when the broader technology industry is on a roll.

The Economist

It improves certain kinds of specialist recruitment because, when trawling for scarce skills, it is better to fish in a bigger pool.

The Economist

By June, it expects to import workers from Brazil, Australia's main competitor.After 14 years of boom, the story of scarce skills is being repeated all over Australia.

The Economist

One driving force is the growing ease of communications: where people with scarce skills can live in one country and work in another, they can command an international rate.

The Economist

Some are turning away from the ideals of their parents, for whom work always came first; others with scarce skills are demanding more because they know they can get it.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Currently abortion provision for mid-level providers is not recognised as a specialised or scarce skill and recognition in monetary terms for a specialised skill should be considered.

BMC Public Health

The government's labour market experts say most skilled migrants from outside Europe bring scarce new skills to Britain and are higher paid than their British counterparts, but that there are some jobs – especially in the public sector, such as doctors, nurses and teachers – where they undercut UK salaries by up to £6,000 a year.

The Guardian

Because physicians are scarce, their skills must be used to best advantage, and much of the work normally done by physicians in the rich countries has to be delegated to auxiliaries or nurses, who have to diagnose the common conditions, give treatment, take blood samples, help with operations, supply simple posters containing health advice, and carry out other tasks.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Although most of these parents are still not able to fully assist their children with their homework, they have acquired a good proficiency in Dutch or French and they possess information capital that distinguishes them from other parents with scarce language skills or scant conception of how schools or the labour market function.

Comparative Migration Studies

After overseeing the creation of thousands of pages of magazines for Conde Nast and Time, Inc., and managing dozens of employees, worrying about their careers, workloads and officemates, I am on my own, juggling invoices, accountants, and my scarce entrepreneurial skills.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In technical documentation or reports, specify the "scarce skills" needed for a project to highlight potential bottlenecks and resource requirements.

Common error

Avoid using "scarce skills" interchangeably with general skill gaps. "Scarce skills" refers specifically to expertise that is in short supply across an industry or region, not just within a single organization.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "scarce skills" primarily functions as a noun phrase modifier, where the adjective 'scarce' modifies the noun 'skills'. This describes skills that are in short supply. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

46%

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "scarce skills" refers to skills that are in limited supply but high demand, making it challenging for organizations to find qualified personnel. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use in both formal and informal contexts. It's commonly found in news articles, scientific publications, and business documents. When writing about workforce issues, be aware of similar and related phrases such as "rare skills", "limited skills", or "in demand skills" to add nuance and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rare skills

Emphasizes the infrequency of occurrence of the skills.

hard-to-find skills

Focuses on the difficulty in locating individuals with the required skills.

limited skills

Focuses on the restricted availability of such skills.

specialized skills

Highlights the unique and specific nature of the skills.

in-demand skills

Highlights the high need and desirability of the skills.

few skills

Focuses on the low quantity of certain skills in society.

deficient skills

Underlines the shortage or inadequacy of skills in a particular area.

lacking skills

Highlights the absence of certain skills.

undersupplied skills

Indicates that the quantity of available skills is not sufficient.

niche skills

Emphasizes the specialization and limited pool of individuals possessing these skills.

FAQs

How can I use "scarce skills" in a sentence?

You can use "scarce skills" to describe a situation where there is a limited supply of particular skills in a specific industry or region. For example: "The company is offering higher salaries to attract professionals with "in demand skills".".

What are some alternatives to "scarce skills"?

Alternatives to "scarce skills" include "rare skills", "limited skills", or "in demand skills", depending on the specific context.

What does "scarce skills allowance" mean?

In some organizations or countries a "scarce skills allowance" is additional compensation or benefits provided to employees who possess "specialized skills" that are in high demand but low supply. This is used as an incentive to attract and retain talent.

Which fields typically suffer from "scarce skills"?

Fields such as technology, healthcare, and engineering often experience "scarce skills", particularly in specialized areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced medical procedures.