Technicians remain the hardest jobs to fill in the Chinese mainland for a second year, according to the results of the 2013 talent shortage survey released on Tuesday by ManpowerGroup.

Sales representatives and management/executive positions are the other two tough spots to fill. This is the second year for technicians and sales reps to rank as the top two.

Technical competency is the key reason that some jobs go begging, accounting for 33 percent among Chinese employers.