b'U.S.: Top Areas Workers Expect to FillProduction IT Finance Research Sales61.11% 24.07% 29.63% 20.37% 29.63%Worldwide, there were over 10,000 searches for remote on AgCareers.com, up 40% from 2021. Employers that can offer a virtual office environment for some or all positions benefit byCanada: Top Areas Workers Expect to Fillpromoting this in the job announcement.For those positions that need to be in-person, AgCareers52.63%suggests emphasizing the benefits of onsite collaborative team-work supplemented with flexibility. The key takeaways from the U.S. were: Retention practices continue to be a top priority. Companies report regular pay increases for current employees and flexible work schedules.36.84% Flexible work schedules are a top priority, as 55% of employees polled prefer a hybrid schedule. It continues to be a way for employers to attract and retain talent. Hourly roles are and continue to be the most difficult to fill. 26.32% Theres an increase in graduate recruitment68.35% of23.68% 23.68%companies plan to do more graduate recruitment. Some key findings in Canada are:Theres an outlook for growth. Overall, 55.91% of compa-nies anticipate an increase in the size of their workforce. The labor market continues to intensify and pose chal-lenges for employers. Companies surveyed noted that finding applicants with the required skill was the top reason for their recruiting difficulties.Sales positions are in demand and, like in previous years, continue to be the most difficult type of role to fill. SalesSales Production Finance Marketing Warehouseroles are reported as the top position that companies hope to fill with new graduates. Companies are looking to improve company culture. Canadian companies across the agribusiness sector noted various ways to improve their company culture by creating paths for employees to develop and sharpen skills.SW8/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2023'