(AAP, May 18, 2009 07:54am) THERE will be a severe skills shortage in Australia when the economic downturn subsides, an employment services group says. More than 43,000 skilled workers joined the ranks of the unemployed in the opening months of 2009, new research shows. There are now 133,700 unemployed skilled workers, according to the data by specialist employment services group Clarius.

Clarius executive manager Kym Quick said it was a temporary situation. "At some point down the track we will be back in the same scenario that we were several years ago where we will have severe skills shortages,'' Ms Quick told ABC Television.