New research has found bosses reporting skill shortages in the UK has dropped to 12%.

A survey by Manpower reported that the skills gap has dropped by 22% in the past year, compared to an international reduction of 10%, from 41% to 31%.

Skilled manual trades, labourers and chefs are still the hardest to positions to fill. Staff for the information technology sector and nurses enter the top 10 for the first time and drivers re-enter the list.

“With reports of economic uncertainty, employees are not as keen to move jobs meaning employers are not faced with the same challenges of filling vacancies they were when the survey began two years ago.  Employers are also focusing on making the most of the capacity of their existing workforce before they hire new people," said Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK.