Jobs That Are Hard to Fill -- Even in 2011

By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

In this year of high unemployment and extraordinary economic anxiety, it’s hard to believe that any job openings are taking long to fill. But due to the ever-increasing complexity of the labor market and the constantly evolving needs of employers, some openings are going begging -- and creating excellent opportunities for candidates with the right job skills.

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The problem of unfilled job postings has increased dramatically since the depths of the 2007-2009 recession, according to ManpowerGroup’s 2011 Talent Shortage Survey. Some 52 percent of US employers are having trouble filling openings, up from 14 percent in 2010, the survey says.

So let’s take a look at six occupations that -- against seemingly astronomical odds -- offer numerous job listings even in these tumultuous times.

Accounting/Financial Analysts

If you’ve got even a few years of the right accounting or finance experience, you’ll be much in demand as an analyst. “There are a lot of accountants who can do transactional work, but it’s hard to find people who can do internal controls, decision management and forecasting,â€