Managers in Australia are being forced to look abroad for employees to meet skills shortages, a new study has claimed.

Research by the Australian Institute of Management indicated there is a talent gap in the country, with two out of three large businesses considering appointing individuals from overseas, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Industries found to be experiencing significant talent gaps included engineering, sales and marketing, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, restaurants and a number of other professions.

However, claims of skills shortages have been refuted by Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union official Malcolm Tulloch, who has suggested they are being used as a means of bringing cheap labor into the country and reducing spending on training.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicated recently that unemployment remained at 4.9 per cent in June this year, with an estimated 23,400 jobs created in the country during the month from May 2011.

Posted by Sarah Dixon