The war for talent and the talent shortage have been widely debated. Many questions remain on the table. Is there really a demographic shortage? Are the baby boomers abandoning the workforce — or will they work beyond retirement age? How will legislation affect the numbers? Is the shortage only in certain industries — or just manifested in particular job functions?

Here’s a chart from the results of Manpower’s Talent Shortage and Wage Inflation Survey. It makes its own comment on the talent shortage centered in basic economics. When the talent supply/demand balance shifts towards demand — you have to pay more for the limited supply.