‘A very leaky pipeline’: 1.7 million trade jobs will open each year through 2035—and experts are scrambling to figure out how to fill them

Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, warned that for every five tradespeople who retire, only two replace them. The State of America’s Skilled Trades report found that there will be 1.7 million skilled trade job openings each year through 2035, including 600,000 new net positions added during the same period. This shortage stems from a combination of aging workforce (nearly one-quarter of skilled trade workers are 55 or older) and a shrinking number of young people entering the field (only 11% are under 25).

The demand for tradespeople has surged due to technology advancements, particularly in AI-driven construction of data centers, increased defense production, and the need for affordable housing. However, the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy, coupled with the rising cost of higher education, has left the trades with an aging workforce and a shortage of new entrants.

Industry giants like General Motors are investing in modernizing skilled trade careers to meet this demand, but small trade and vocational programs face resource constraints that hinder their ability to retain and attract apprentices. Expanding the perception of trade careers, particularly among Gen Z, is crucial to addressing this two-fold problem of retiring tradespeople and a lack of young talent.