A seismic shift from years past towards the trades is a clear sign that President Trump’s relentless push to restore the dignity of American labor is taking hold.
- 60% of Gen Z Americans plan to pursue skilled trade work this year, up from less than 40% just one year ago.
- Half of Gen Z college graduates are also pivoting to trades, signaling the end of the failed “college-for-all” experiment.
- Median pay in skilled trades now matches or exceeds many four-year degrees, with trade workers enjoying greater employment stability than their white-collar peers for the first time in history.
Meanwhile, 94% of U.S. contractors report labor shortages, driving wages higher.
