Registered nurses, software developers and cashiers are the hardest jobs in Connecticut to fill, according to a new state survey.

The Connecticut Economic Digest reported this week that its first-ever job-vacancy survey showed a mixed bag of professions and occupations is near the top of the state list of positions that were left unfilled during the latest period available for study.

"There is a mix of high paying professional/technology positions, as well as occupations that tend to have high turnover — low paying and requiring little preparation or training," according to an article by Andy Condon, director of research at the state Department of Labor.

On the low end, customer service representatives, cooks, bus drivers and fast-food servers were among the jobs with the most vacancies, according to the survey. Management analysts, accountants, computer operators and mechanical drafters were some of the more skilled workers being sought in large numbers.

Registered nurses were by far the most sought-after workers, with an estimated 1,763 vacancies during the survey period in the third quarter of 2014. Nursing vacancies nearly were double the next most sought-after profession: software developers.

When looked at by occupational groups rather than individual jobs, management positions had the most vacancies, followed by food prep and healthcare practitioners.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow