US Faces 1.7 Million Annual Trade Job Openings Through 2035 as AI Stirs 10x Demand
Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Sep 30
US Faces 1.7 Million Annual Trade Job Openings Through 2035 as AI Stirs 10x Demand
3 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Sep 30
Summary
1.7 million skilled-trades openings a year are projected through 2035, while training programs are producing only about 55 workers for every 100 needed, according to a new Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades report.
Mike Rowe said the shortages are widespread across trades even if they vary by state and occupation, calling the labor gap the "problem of the decade" as employers struggle to build, maintain and power infrastructure.
10x demand for Rowe’s foundation programs from a year ago suggests attitudes are shifting toward trade careers, which he linked partly to AI anxiety and the rising cost of four-year degrees.
Six-figure pay in some data-center trade jobs and a Trump administration rule tying federal student-loan eligibility to graduates’ earnings are adding pressure to redirect more workers toward vocational paths.