Latest news with #tradejobs
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gen Z is ditching college for ‘more secure' trade jobs—but building inspectors, electricians and plumbers actually have the worst unemployment
With AI coming for white collar work, Gen Z have been ditching college and corner office ambitions, in favor of taking up traditional trades like welding, plumbing, and carpentry. But they're in for a rude awakening: high unemployment rates, unhappiness and automation risks. Trade jobs are having a moment. Touted as the smarter, safer alternative to 'irrelevant' overpriced degrees and entry level white-collar jobs (which tech CEOs warn could soon to be swallowed by AI), traditional manual work is experiencing a resurgence among Gen Z. Around 78% of Americans say they've noticed a spike in young people turning to jobs like carpentry, electrical work and welding, according to a 2024 Harris Poll for Intuit Credit Karma. They're not wrong. Trade school enrollment really has been surging post-pandemic, even outpacing university enrollment. And it makes sense: six-figure salaries without student loans, the freedom to work for yourself, and hands-on, real-world skills that can't be outsourced to a chatbot. But new research suggests that the reality isn't as stable—or as future-proof—as it's being pitched. According to a new WalletHub study ranking the best and worst entry-level U.S. jobs in 2025, trade roles dominate the bottom of the list. Welders, automotive mechanics, boilermakers, and drafters all rank among the least promising career starters. Worse still, jobs like building inspectors, electricians, and plumbers are tied to the highest unemployment rate in the entire study at 7.2%—more than three times that of entry-level office jobs like budget analysts or financial analysts, which sit closer to 2.0%. Welder Computer Numeric Control Machine Programmer Mechanical Drafter Automotive Mechanic Boilermaker Emergency Dispatcher Architectural Drafter Telecommunications Technician Benefits Administrator Tool and Die Maker According to the researchers, these roles scored poorly due to limited job availability and weak growth potential, as well as their potentially hazardous nature. Plus, while you'd assume the physical nature of trade work makes them immune to automation, WalletHub's analyst Chip Lupo tells Fortune that the data shows they're also vulnerable. 'New technologies like prefabrication and robotics are starting to take over parts of the workload, which can reduce demand,' Lupo explained. Just like office workers who are experiencing mass layoffs and are at the mercy of recessions, rate hikes, and demand, so too are tradies. 'Trade jobs are closely tied to industries like construction and manufacturing, which means they are sensitive to changes in the economy. When these industries slow down, projects often get delayed or canceled, which can lead to job losses,' Lupo added. 'On top of that, some trade jobs are seasonal, which means that bad weather or off-peak months can dry up construction and maintenance work for several weeks.' But there is one trade job that stands out for its stability amid the chaos: Geotechnical engineers, mine engineers and drilling engineers have the longest median tenure with their employers—2.1 times higher than that of industrial designers, interior designers, PR specialists, technical writers, and web writers, which rank among the shortest. Of course, not everyone is becoming a tradie for the money. Gen Zers previously told Fortune that a key element is having the freedom to be their own boss and not be chained to a desk. But in reality, it might not actually make them happier than a nine-to-five office job. That's because those freedoms come at a cost: long hours and manual work. Another study ranked electricians as the least happy workers of all. According to the research, the physically demanding nature of the job and 40-plus hour workweeks weren't made up for by the just 'decent' salary. Construction workers, warehouse managers, and construction project managers also made the list of unhappiest jobs for having 'unpredictable hours,' topped with their roles being stressful and taxing. Alarmingly, not a single trade job made the list of happiest jobs. Have you gone down the traditional trade jobs route and now regret it? Fortune wants to hear from you. Get in touch: This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gen Z turn to trade jobs, ditch white-collar careers amid AI uncertainty, poor corporate wages
It's trick of the trade. Gen Z is turning to traditional trade jobs amid fears AI will soon replace many white-collar careers, a new survey has uncovered. Resume Builder polled more than 1,400 Gen Z adults between the ages of 18 and 28, finding that 42% of Zoomers are currently working in or pursuing a blue-collar or skilled trade job, such as plumbing, welding or electrical work, including 37% of those with a bachelor's degree. Almost a third of respondents said such jobs offer better long-term prospects, while a quarter said the roles are less likely to be taken over by AI. 'More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason,' Resume Builder's Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller declared. 'Trade jobs offer hands-on work that's difficult to automate. Additionally, many grads find their degrees don't lead to careers in their field, prompting them to explore more practical, in-demand alternatives.' Indeed, almost one in five Zoomers (19%) who are currently working in a trade said they were unable to find a job in the field that they had studied for. Of those who were able to land a white-collar role, 16% eventually quit and turned to a trade job because it potentially offered more money. It's a stunning inversion from decades' past, where a job requiring a college degree typically offered far better pay than blue-collar work. Resume Builder also found that trade jobs were particularly enticing for Gen Z as the cost of obtaining a college degree continues to rise. Many surveyed Zoomers said they didn't want to be burdened by paying back burdensome college loans. The average cost of college in the United States has more than doubled over the past 24 years to $38,270 per student per year, according to the Education Data Initiative. The findings come less than a year after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gen Z is becoming 'the toolbelt generation.' Trades are flourishing as college enrollment shrinks, per the report, which found that 'the number of students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% last year to its highest level … since 2018.' Kids studying construction trades rose 23% during the five-year period, while those training for HVAC and vehicle repair careers increased 7%. An Associated Press article from 2023 also reported on the trend, similarly saying pricey college tuition was turning Zoomers off higher education. 'If I would have gone to college after school, I would be dead broke,' one young man working at a Ford plant told the Associated Press in a story about young people skipping college in favor of the skilled trades. The youngster is making $24 an hour at age 19, with no student debt.
