Reuters (07/20/15) Megan Cassella

Thirty-five percent of economists reported that their firms had seen shortages of skilled labor during the quarter ending in July, according to a survey of 112 economists by the National Association for Business Economics released on Monday. U.S. employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find skilled employees, which could indicate more pressure on wage growth in the future. Survey chairman Jim Diffley said that the report shows “markedly increased shortages…especially of skilled labor.” The NABE survey also found that 49% of companies are anticipating wage increases in the next three months, up 3% from the April poll and 14% from last year, though the share of those reporting actual increases during the past three months held at 42%, down slightly from April’s 45% and last year’s 43%.