尽管美国的失业率依然停留在9%左右，这意味着大约1,500万美国人没有工作，但美国劳动统计局（Bureau of Labor Statistics）的数据显示，目前还有近300万个职位依然虚席以待。这种现象虽然很奇怪，但却是事实。为什么会出现这种现象？最大的原因是，雇主寻求的资质与求职者具备的技能之间未能有效对接。

    那么，就业市场最需要哪些技能？以下是最热门的10大职业：

    1.信息技术。招聘网站Indeed.com最近对发布于该网站上的数百万个职位信息进行了分析。研究人员发现，增速最快的关键词（包括 HTML5、Android、移动应用和社交媒体等）都属于信息技术领域。技术类招聘网站Dice.com所做的一项最新调查也证实了上述发现：大约65%的招聘经理表示，他们希望在2012年上半年增加技术员工。约有四分之一 (27%) 的招聘经理声称，他们打算把信息技术团队的人数扩充20%以上。

    就业市场分析师劳伦斯•沙特金在其新著《21世纪最好的工作》（Best Jobs for the 21st Century）中说，到2018年，应用软件开发人员的空缺职位将增长三分之一以上(34%)，公司雇用的计算机系统分析师人数也将增长20%。这些领域不断上涨的薪酬反映出需求激增的趋势：劳工统计局称，系统软件开发人员的平均年薪为94,180美元。

    2.医疗保健专业人员。受美国人口老龄化等因素的影响，医疗保健早已成为就业的热门领域，这一趋势目前依然没有放缓的迹象。沙特金的研究显示，直至下个10年后期，美国每年都需要增加103,900名注册护士（平均年薪：64,690美元），以及7,860名理疗师（平均年薪：76,310美元）。对牙科保健师的需求也在上升——从现在到2018年，牙科保健师的空缺职位预计将增长36.1%（平均年薪：68,250美元）。

    3.医疗保健管理和支持人员。如果没有接受过培训或不具备相关经验，无法从事直接跟病人打交道的工作，怎么办？不必担心。“生意人同样可以经营医疗保健服务，但人们却经常忽略了这个事实，”猎头机构JobPlex公司的总裁贾斯汀•赫希说。“医疗体系日新月异，但有所失亦有所得。一般管理、财务、营销、人力资源等领域正不断涌现出新的就业机会。”

    4.工程师。希望毕业时有大把工作机会可以挑选的大学生请注意：考虑一下主修工程专业。人力资源管理协会（Society for Human Resource Management）最新的一次民意调查显示，有高达88%的雇主抱怨称，很难招聘到足够多的工程师。对于土木工程师的需求也十分旺盛。沙特金在分析劳工统计局的数据时发现，对于道路、桥梁和其他基础设施项目设计人员的需求量激增了24.3%（平均年薪：77,560美元）。

    Strange but true: Despite the fact that unemployment is stuck at around 9%, which translates to about 15 million Americans out of work, nearly 3 million job openings in the U.S. are going unfilled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why? The biggest reason is a mismatch between the qualifications employers are looking for and the skills job hunters have.

    So which skills are most in demand? Here are 10 of the hottest:

    1. Information technology. When career site Indeed.com recently analyzed millions of job postings on its web site, researchers found that the fastest-growing category of keywords — including HTML5, Android, mobile app, and social media — were in IT, and a new survey by tech job site Dice.com bears that out: About 65% of hiring managers said they hope to add tech staff in the first half of 2012. Roughly a quarter of those (27%) said they want to expand their IT headcount by more than 20%.

    Openings for software developers who specialize in applications will rise by more than one-third (34%) by 2018, says Best Jobs for the 21st Century, a new book by job market analyst Laurence Shatkin, while companies will hire 20% more computer systems analysts. Rising pay in these fields reflects the surge in demand: The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that developers of systems software, for instance, earn an average of $94,180 per year.

    2. Health care professionals. Partly due to the aging of the U.S. population, health care has been hot for a while now, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Shatkin's research says the U.S. will need 103,900 more registered nurses every year (average salary: $64,690) well into the next decade, along with 7,860 new physical therapists per annum (average pay: $76,310). Demand for dental hygienists is up too, with a projected 36.1% growth in job openings between now and 2018 (average pay: $68,250).

    3. Health care management and support staff. Don't have the training or experience to work directly with patients? No worries. "People often overlook the fact that businesspeople run health care companies," says Justin Hirsch, president of recruiting firm JobPlex. "With all the change happening in the system now, there is churn as well as growth. We're constantly seeing new openings in general management, finance, marketing, human resources, you name it."

    4. Engineers. Note to college students who want their pick of job offers when they graduate: Consider majoring in engineering. A whopping 88% of employers in a new poll by the Society for Human Resource Management bemoaned the difficulty of finding enough engineers to hire. Civil engineers are in demand too: Shatkin's analysis of BLS data shows a 24.3% spike ahead in jobs for people who design roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects (average annual pay: $77,560).