Q: How do I write a problem statement for an analysis of the shortage of skilled personnel?

The problem statement is a well-defined expression of the gap that your study is about and how your study will address that gap. You need to arrive at the problem statement by focusing on a specific problem in your study. Thus, in your case, you may wish to look at factors causing the shortage of skilled construction personnel, such as economic, geographic (because much of the workforce in construction is migratory), monetary (wages and perks), and even factors coming from the nature of the industry itself (such as safety and stress). Note that these are simply suggestions and you will need to craft a problem statement that is precisely relevant to your study.

Also, as your study is an analysis, you will gain much from doing an exhaustive literature review, which in turn will help you arrive at a suitable problem statement.

Related reading:

• The basics of writing a statement of the problem for your research proposal
• 8 Things to remember when writing a statement of the problem
• 5 Tips to write a great literature review