Ferguson adds, “There is a perfect storm happening in the U.S. labor market. Low unemployment paired with lagging labor force participation and a growing skills gap is making it very difficult for businesses to find qualified candidates—and this is for all types of roles. If employers want to remain competitive, they are going to have to look to new talent pools and significantly increase their investment in training workers to build up the skills they require.”

Among the five actions employers are expected to take in the new year is capturing new talent early—going after college students, since 64 percent intend to hire recent college graduates. In addition, 23 percent will be looking outside the country to find the workers they need, while 39 percent will be looking at the ones who got away—intending to rehire former employees.

A forward-thinking 66 percent of employers will be bringing in workers who don’t have the skills they need, but who have potential; 44 percent will hire low-skill workers who don’t have the experience they need, then train them for higher-skilled jobs.

And last but not least, 30 percent will actually raise starting salaries by 5 percent or more for in-demand workers, while 36 percent plan to do so for existing staff.

The hottest areas to look for full-time, permanent work are the West, at 49 percent, followed by the Northeast at 47 percent. The South comes next at 45 percent, while the Midwest lags at just 33 percent of employers planning to bring on new employees this year.

All that notwithstanding, 6 percent of employers expect a decline in staff levels in 2018; that is, however, an improvement from 8 percent last year; 45 percent don’t expect a change in the number of employees, while 5 percent are unsure.