As a rule, I try to avoid relying too much on charts, graphs, and powerpoint presentations. Visual aids make me anxious, and then, paradoxically, sleepy. This chart however, and the stats therein, are worth sharing. They were put together for mikeroweWORKS by an organization I know called BlueRecruit.us, who built a pretty great direct marketplace for skilled tradespeople and the companies looking to hire them. Their data is a lot more current than what you’ll find at the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, and I found much of it encouraging. Here are some key takeaways, cut and pasted from their from their latest “State of the Trades.”
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1. People are joining the trades at the highest rates in over a generation.
2. Demand for Electricians and Manufacturing professionals is skyrocketing.
3. Likely a result of the Presidential election and subsequent immigration policy changes, the General Labor industry is undergoing massive changes.
Although negative stigmas surrounding the trades continue to exist, attitudes are clearly beginning to evolve. Young people, women, and Veterans are turning to the trades at levels not seen since WW2.
● Since November, 42% of BlueRecruit Job Seekers have been female, 49% are under the age of 35, and 11% are Veterans.
● Along with the increase in individuals pursuing the trades, hiring is up 376% for Q4-2024 to Q1-2025 compared to that same period a year ago. That’s an astonishing number.
The demand for electricians and manufacturing professionals are at record highs.
● Making up three of the eight most in demand trades this quarter, demand and compensation for Electricians, Fabricators, and Manufacturing Technicians all increased compared to Q4-2024.
● Even the Great State of Michigan, home to the most manufacturing professionals in the US, saw the highest demand in its history.
● Electricians saw an average compensation increase of $0.76 phr compared to Q4. Without taking overtime into account, that is an average increase of annual salary of $1,580.80.
As immigration enforcement and deportations take center stage in the national media, the effects are being seen across the trades.
● The requirement for a clean criminal record by employers increased by an astounding 10% compared to Q4. This is the single largest increase in a single quarter in the history of the SoTT, and shows a clear policy change by employers nationwide.
● The average General Laborer compensation increased by $2.40. This too being the largest single quarter increase yet witnessed for this demographic and likely highlights the shift of employers hiring legal employees at market rates.
● Texas, which shares the nation’s longest border with Mexico, regained the top spot as the state with the most hires for the first time since Q2-2022.
● While the argument can be made that such immigration reforms will increase labor cost and further worsen a tight labor market, it is our position that these policy changes will ultimately prove beneficial for US workers and help develop the next generation of skilled workers seeking entry-level positions.
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This might explain why mikeroweWORKS currently has 10X the number of scholarship applicants as we did a year ago today. If you’re considering a career in the trades, apply today at mikeroweWORKS.org/scholarship. We’ve set aside $2.5 million to help train the next generation of skilled tradespeople. Go get some!