Twenty percent of employers in the Midwest often find it difficult to fill key positions, despite high unemployment rates and a sluggish job market.

According to a survey by Right Management Inc., another 64 percent of Midwest employers occasionally have trouble attracting the right talent, compared with 60 percent of employers nationwide.

The Philadelphia-based company, which surveyed 700 firms across in the United States, also found that only 3 percent of respondents both in the Midwest and in the nation think they have “an ample leadership pipeline that will cover most” of their workforce needs.

“Virtually no employer feels confident of his or her own management pipeline,” said Mary Haskins of Right Management. “Management ranks are very lean, and nobody should be stunned by this reality, not after the organizational streamlining that’s taken place over the past two years.”

Haskins said not only do companies now find themselves to be short-handed, but many are also fearful of losing top performers.

“The year ahead holds great promise, a recovery is even likely, but there will also be serious talent management challenges for organizations of all sizes,” she said.