Jobber, a leading provider of home service software, recently released The Annual Blue-Collar Report: Gen Z and the Trades Need Each Other. The report, based on survey responses from 1,000 students in the U.S. aged 18-20, provides insight into how Gen Z navigates education and career choices, as well as offers solutions on how to inspire and encourage younger generations to consider taking advantage of all that blue-collar careers have to offer.
According to The Annual Blue-Collar Report, 76% of Gen Zers agree there is a stigma associated with going to vocational school over a traditional four-year university.
"If you own a home, you have a problem," says Sam Pillar, CEO and co-founder of Jobber. "While there is some renewed interest among the younger generation to pursue blue-collar careers, there's still far too much work homeowners need done and not enough workers to do it. We need to do a better job showing Gen Z how incredible the opportunities in the trades are and encouraging them to consider that path."
The U.S. housing stock is aging rapidly, with the median age of homes reaching 40 years. This is a critical problem as the U.S. is experiencing a labor shortage across most industries as labor force participation declines and the workforce ages and retires. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment demands in trade industries are often greater than or pacing the 3% average of all occupations, representing not just a gap, but a growing chasm.
Key findings from the report provide deeper insights into why Gen Z is not pursuing blue-collar careers and how society can encourage younger generations to consider them. Despite the growing stigma and misconceptions that Gen Z has, The Annual Blue-Collar Report clearly shows that they actually do want blue-collar careers and just don't know it yet.
Gen Z has been taught to measure success through a white-collar lens, but AI, the economy, and layoffs are changing their minds. Their concerns around white-collar careers are clear. Among the findings of the report:
- One-third of Gen Zers say that white-collar desk jobs are less stable today than they were for their parents' generation.
- 41% of Gen Zers agree that the potential for AI to replace jobs has made it harder to achieve the "American Dream" and 46% believe there will be fewer future job opportunities as a result.
- 70% of Gen Zers say they are not optimistic about the future of the economy.
- When asked what would make a trade career more appealing, Gen Z described what blue-collar professions already offer, including flexible work hours (73%), job stability (61%), and overtime pay (58%).
Parents have blue-collar blindness, schools deserve a failing grade for blue-collar education, and Hollywood is doing hard work dirty.
- Family (51%) was identified as the biggest influence on Gen Z and the careers they chose to pursue by a significant margin.
- 61% of Gen Zers say their parents haven't spoken to them about vocational school or told them not to consider it.
- Just 17% of Gen Zers say they have been educated on the benefits of vocational training following high school graduation. This was significantly lower than bachelor's degree, community college, military service, and entrepreneurship.
- More than a third (35%) of Gen Zers say TV shows and movies have influenced the careers they want to explore and 47% describe trade professionals as being generally portrayed negatively (incompetent, unhealthy, and/or unhappy) in shows and movies.
While many workforces have evolved to accommodate the modern gender distribution of labor, the trades have yet to establish this balance.
- Nearly half (48%) of Gen Zers agree that women are discouraged from pursuing trade careers from a young age.
- 58% of Gen Zers say that women face more discrimination within trade careers — compared to other career options — with the majority of women (68%) believing this compared to men (47%).
In addition to survey data and insights, The Annual Blue-Collar Report offers testimonials from people like 27-year-old commercial and residential electrician Lexis Czumak-Abreu, who attests to the benefits of blue-collar work: "I studied pre-med in school, intending to become a surgeon but decided to become an electrician instead. Many people in my family are electricians, including my dad. The salary is great, the hours are stable, and the work is very gratifying."
Finally, The Annual Blue-Collar Report highlights 10 specific calls to action for the general public, blue-collar professionals, policymakers and educators, and the media to help connect the dots between Gen Z's fears and desires and the blue-collar opportunity in front of them, as well as eliminate the existing harmful stereotypes.
To access the report in full, visit jobber.com/blue-collar.
Report Methodology
The 2024 Annual Blue-Collar Report features findings from an April 2024 survey commissioned by Jobber and conducted by Conjointly of 1,000 students in the U.S. aged 18-20 currently attending or considering attending college/graduate school, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 90% confidence level.
