Skilled tradespeople are largely satisfied with their work choice, according to a new Skilled Trades in America report from Angi. Up from 83% in 2021, nearly 90% of tradespeople are satisfied with their careers, citing finding meaning and value in their work, the overall compensation, and flexible work hours as perks.
While artificially intelligence (AI) technology is expected to disrupt many industries, 65% of surveyed pros believe that their role in the trade labor market is safe from being threatened by AI and only 11% have concerns. Forty-eight percent of respondents say that AI will help them in their work in the future for handling tasks like logistics.
"Jobs across industries–from software development to media to research to education–could face job loss as a result of AI, but skilled home professionals are resting easy,” says Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angi. "The significant majority have no concerns about AI taking over their jobs; in fact half of the pros we surveyed are excited to see how AI innovation can help them serve homeowners better.”
Demand for skilled tradespeople is high, especially as the shortage builds. Of those surveyed, 66% agree that they would be able to grow their business if they could find more quality skilled workers. Additionally, nearly 40% of pros say they could not find employees to fill open positions. Incentives like health insurance, above average wages, and flexible work schedules were top options respondents noted as ways to attract employees.
Workers aged 25 to 44 leaned more optimistic about the future of the shortage but are more likely to say younger people are not joining the trades due to stigmas surrounding the roles. Compared to 77% in 2021, almost 70% of tradespeople view the labor shortage as a problem.
Only 31% of skilled tradespeople think the shortage will get worse while 27% expect it to stay the same in the next five years and 42% expect it to improve. “We don’t want to be a country that has homes, but no plumbers. Yards, but no landscapers,” says Hicks. “Behind every home in America is a team of people taking care of it from the HVAC tech to the general contractor. That’s why Angi is so committed to addressing this challenge and getting more folks into the trades.”
A key factor in boosting interest and lessening the shortage is opening a stronger path for women. While 19% of survey respondents identified as women—a heavy increase from previous years—62% of overall respondents say more women would join the trades if a clearer career path was built for them. The report revealed that 41% of pros have seen more women enter the workforce as skilled tradespeople over the last five years.
Skilled tradespeople say the top two reasons for limited entrants to these fields are lack of exposure to trade careers paths in high school and historical stigma. According to the report, 65% of pros say increased investment in high school trade preparation programs would help this and 54% feel that more should be invested in trade schools.
To address the challenges the industry faces, Angi launched a comprehensive Trade Up Initiatives program. The program includes providing scholarships for students pursing construction-related trade school training, a partnership that connects job seekers on the trades job platform BlueRecruit with pros in the Angi network, and heavy awareness campaigns about the benefit of skilled trade careers through webinars, podcasts, and social media content.
“These are highly satisfying and secure jobs, critical to America’s infrastructure and economy,” Hicks adds. “More people are starting to recognize this, but we need to continue to educate new job seekers about the incredible potential a career in the skilled trades holds. Through our Angi Trade Up Initiatives, we’re working to bridge the gap and ensure a strong future for the skilled trade industry.”
