Recruiters looking for specialized skills are continuing to have trouble filling job openings, despite a national unemployment rate of 9%. Electricians, machinists, and other manufacturing workers have been hard to find. A survey found that 83% of manufacturing companies had a moderate or severe shortage of skilled workers. Economists say that this shortage can have a large affect on the economy, by causing companies to hire less, having an affect on other parts of the economy.
See "Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging", Ben Casselman, The Wall Street Journal, November 28, 2011