This paper addresses the issue of manpower planning in meeting the needs of national and international economies for trained geomatics professionals. Estimated statistics for the numbers of such personnel, and experience in assessing recruitment into the profession reveal considerable skills gaps, particularly in the mature economies of the developed world.<br><br> In general, centralised manpower planning has little official role in western economies. However, informal surveys of shortfalls in supply of qualified graduates in many fields, including geomatics, are undertaken by professional organisations, educational establishments and consultancies. This paper examines examples of such manpower surveys and considers whether more effective manpower planning would ensure a more efficient geomatics industry in a nation, and what the nature of such an exercise should be.