WASHINGTON - eTradeWire -- Koger Talent today released findings from its Q2 2025 talent market analysis revealing a widening cybersecurity skills gap that poses significant risks to government contractors and private sector organizations.

The Alexandria-based recruiting firm's data, compiled from over 200 recent placement attempts, shows that while 3.5 million cybersecurity positions remain unfilled globally, federal hiring constraints are creating an unprecedented bottleneck in the security-cleared talent pipeline.

Key findings include:

• Only 17% of qualified cybersecurity candidates possess necessary security clearances for government contracting roles, down from 23% in 2023
• 68% of candidates claiming cybersecurity expertise fail basic technical assessments
• Average security clearance processing time increased to 18 months
• Security-cleared cybersecurity professionals command 35-45% salary premiums

"The cybersecurity talent crisis isn't just about quantity—it's about finding professionals who can actually perform the work and obtain the clearances required for critical infrastructure protection," said Michael Koger-Smith, CEO of Koger Talent. "We're seeing a perfect storm of skills gaps, clearance constraints, and heightened security requirements."

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The analysis comes as federal government employment declined by 59,000 workers since January 2025, intensifying reliance on government contractors for cybersecurity expertise.

Koger Talent's AI-enhanced recruiting methodology has achieved a 78% success rate for security-cleared positions compared to the industry average of 45%.

"Organizations need strategic talent partners who understand the clearance process and maintain relationships with the limited pool of available cleared professionals," explained Koger-Smith

About Koger Talent Founded in 2017, Koger Talent specializes in AI-enhanced recruiting across technology, healthcare, government contracting, and executive leadership, serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Website: www.kogertalent.com