Resources

We recently attended and presented at a forum called Connected Manufacturing that really leaned into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and automated manufacturing and the challenges surrounding them. 

In this blog, we answer the question, “How bad is the labor shortage?” by taking look at the U.S. labor market as a whole. Then, we dive into the skilled trades labor shortage specifically, outlining five factors that contributed to the shortage. Finally, we explain how Skillwork can bridge the gap between employers looking for workers and workers looking for trade industry jobs.

In the bustling world of manufacturing, where complex machinery and equipment are the backbone of production, one crucial role ensures the smooth functioning, reliability, and safety of operations: Industrial maintenance technicians. 

Skilled trades are the backbone of the U.S. economy. However, there’s a shortage of tradesmen to fill essential roles in trade industries. Some reasons for this shortage include an aging workforce that’s retiring faster than people are entering the trades, a long-standing bias that favors college education, and a societal stigma that sees the trades as less prestigious compared to white-collar professions.

Millions of employees across industries have joined a mass exodus from the workplace, known as the Great Resignation, instigated by the pandemic. This tight labor market has returned the upper hand to American workers. Phrases such as “quiet quitting” and “act your wage” have become popularized as employees find community with others who don’t feel appropriately valued or appreciated by their employers.

In this blog, we list eight trades and their salaries that exceed $60,000 per year based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are all high-earning trades that you can enter with just a high school diploma or equivalent. 

Remember the Bruce Springsteen song, Glory Days? He talked about everybody wanting to relive the way things were in the past. In terms of the trades, we think a lot of people are caught up in this same idea, romanticizing what used to be: the way we used to be able to acquire talent, be fully staffed, retain workers, etc.