Blue is the new white? Labor market's sudden shift towards skilled trade workers is a win for blue-collar jobs
Data shows skilled trade jobs see double-digit growth for demand since start of 2023
Gateway Plumbing & Heating owner John Cataneo says there's room for creativity and profitability in many trade jobs, which are in high demand.
One New York business owner offered a seemingly simple solution to helping Americans get their home repair and construction projects done on time with minimal hassle.
"We're in demand," Gateway Plumbing & Heating owner John Cataneo said on "America’s Newsroom" Tuesday. "If I had more workers, I could get a lot more done."
Many U.S. employers are in desperate need of skilled labor or trade workers, as the industry sees double-digit growth in demand for services.
Since the beginning of 2023, there have been more than 770,000 skilled job postings from nearly 95,000 different employers across the country, according to data from PeopleReady Skilled Trades.
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Demand for carpenters has gone up 23% from March to May, while stonemasons are up 45% and construction laborers are experiencing an 18% demand surge in the same time period.
On "America’s Newsroom" Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Gateway Plumbing & Heating owner John Cataneo discussed how a high demand for skilled workers could help the industry – and small businesses – boom. (Getty Images)
"Masons, electricians, plumbers, it's a very varied industry, the building trades," Cataneo reflected. "It's good, honest work, and the pay can be very good. Plus there's overtime and benefits, and the unions do a good job of training their members."
The small business owner pointed out that younger generations aren’t encouraged to explore hands-on jobs like he was as a young man. The 54-year-old remembered learning his trade craft from his father.
"Kids wanted to do that. Parents wanted their kids to become a tradesperson," Cataneo said. "It used to be that people had a job and they stayed there for 20 years or something."
In the current labor market, the employer noted that many younger workers tend to have quick turnarounds.
Technical companies are having a hard time replacing older trade workers who are retiring. There haven't been enough young people training to fill open roles.
"Now there's a lot of jumping around. It's sort of the way that people advance their careers now, is jump from company to company," Cataneo explained. "So you got to be careful now who you train, who you want to put some money into, want to put some time into."
"I do get applicants," he added, "but are you going to stick around? Are you serious about this? Are you able to carry a heavy bucket and climb a ladder?"
"If I had more workers, I could get a lot more done."
While the New York business owner recognized the value of investing in higher education for some professions, he urged those listening that the trade worker force is always hiring.
Over the past decade, college enrollment has declined roughly 15%, while the number of apprentices has increased by more than 50%, the Wall Street Journal reported based on federal and Urban Institute data. Estimates today show that colleges and universities enroll about 15 million students in total, while companies employ around 800,000 apprentices.
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"We keep hearing about people getting great education at colleges and universities across the country come out, and they're just mired in debt and they're not getting great jobs anyway," Cataneo said.
"Whereas in the trades," he continued, "we pay you to learn and it's basically an apprenticeship-type program, and you come up through the trades and once you've put it in a little bit of time, about the time it takes you to get a college degree, you're making six digits."