DENVER, CO, May 21, 2024 -- Home services management company Angi released its "Skilled Trades in America Report" that finds 90 percent of persons working in trade occupations are satisfied with their careers, at a time of growing concern over the prospect of job loss to Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms in other occupations.
"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,” said 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.”
Key findings from the Report:
- Safe from AI: While new AI technology is expected to disrupt many industries, 65% of surveyed pros believe that their job in the trade labor market is safe from being threatened by AI while only 11% have concerns.
- Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction in the trades remains remarkably high, with nearly 90% of tradespeople satisfied with their choice of work, increasing from 83% since the pandemic. Pros cited finding meaning and value in their work, the overall compensation and flexible work hours.
- Labor shortage woes: Over 66% of pros agree that they would be able to grow their business if they could find more quality skilled workers, and nearly 40% of pros said they could not find employees to fill open positions. In order to attract employees, pros said they were offering incentives like health insurance, above average wages, and flexible work schedules.
- Younger generation outlook: Nearly 70% of tradespeople view the labor shortage as a problem vs. 77% since the pandemic. Workers aged 25-44 tend to be more optimistic about the future of the shortage, yet they are more likely to say younger people are not joining the trades due to stigmas surrounding trade roles.
- Solutions: Pros cited the top two reasons for scant entrants to these fields as a lack of exposure to trade careers paths in high school and historical stigma. Sixty-five percent of pros said increased investment in high school trade preparation programs would help address this; 54% felt more should be invested in trade schools.
The Report identifies a pressing challenge - a skilled labor shortage impacting the industry. To address this gap, Angi has launched the Angi Trade Up Initiatives, a comprehensive program designed to attract new talent to the trades:
- Angi Trade Up Scholarship Program: Providing scholarships for students pursuing construction-related trade school training programs, addressing the lack of exposure and potential financial barriers highlighted in the Report.
- Angi x BlueRecruit Partnership: Connecting job seekers on the trades job platform BlueRecruit with pros in the Angi network, tackling the issue of limited recruitment pipelines identified by surveyed professionals.
- Angi Trade Up PSA Campaign: Webinars, podcasts, and social media content aiming to raise awareness about the benefit of skilled trade careers, directly combating the stigma around the trades and lack of exposure cited in the Report.
“These are highly satisfying and secure jobs, critical to America’s infrastructure and economy. 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," Hicks said.
“We don’t want to be a country that has homes, but no plumbers. Yards, but no landscapers,” said 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.”
Read the full Skilled Trades in America Report here.