Nearly Half of Gen Z Is Considering Skilled Trades, Survey Finds

Nearly 8 in 10 professionals would recommend the trades to a young person, with nearly half reporting higher demand and income compared with a year ago. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels.

Thumbtack, an online technology platform that connects homeowners with local professionals for home repairs, released its third annual Future of the Skilled Trades Report, revealing how AI and economic uncertainty are reshaping career decisions and fueling a new generation of tradespeople.

More than 80 percent of Gen Z surveyed say it has become harder for young people to build a stable career than it was just a few years ago, with four out of five believing AI will eliminate many traditional entry-level jobs. That uncertainty is already changing how young people are planning for their futures: 92 percent have made at least one change to their career strategy in response to the job market.

Against that backdrop, skilled trades are increasingly becoming a career of choice. Nearly half of Gen Z is learning or seriously considering a skilled trade, with 30 percent saying AI has made them more interested in the field. Three in four believe the trades may become one of the smartest career choices for their generation, signaling a broader shift in how young people define opportunity and success.

“As AI reshapes the workforce, America’s need for skilled labor is only becoming more urgent,” said Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. “The opportunity isn’t to choose between technology and the trades, it’s to bring them together. AI can help skilled professionals become more productive, build stronger businesses and spend more time doing the work only they can do.”

The shift isn’t only happening among Gen Z. Skilled trades professionals describe a workforce being reshaped by career switchers, growing technology adoption, and strong demand.

Career reinvention is bringing new workers into the trades. Among pros with less than two years in the industry, 38 percent previously worked in a corporate or white-collar career, while 26 percent entered the trades following burnout and a desire for a career reset.

AI is becoming routine across generations. 35 percent of pros use AI regularly for their business, most often for marketing, customer communication, and research. Usage cuts across tenure, with 52 percent of pros with less than two years of experience using AI routinely, alongside more than a quarter over pros with 20 years or more in the field.

“There’s a lot of interest from young people who want to learn the trades,” says Deon Marecheau, owner of Antillean Restoration and Thumbtack Pro Advisor. “Bringing apprentices onto our team gives us a chance to develop talented people who can grow with our business or take those skills wherever their career leads.”

Strong career satisfaction and demand don’t necessarily translate into easy growth. Nearly three-quarters of pros turned away work in the past year, most often because of project fit or profitability. That selectivity reflects the realities of running a trade business, where competition, increasingly price-sensitive homeowners, and administrative demands can make it harder to turn strong demand into sustainable growth.

That tension underscores a defining challenge for the future of the trades: the country needs skilled workers, but those workers also need the tools, technology, and business support to build lasting careers.

How well local markets are positioned to meet that demand varies widely across the country. Using Thumbtack marketplace data, the report ranks the markets best positioned for the future of skilled labor based on the strength and growth of professional supply and homeowner demand. The top 10 metro areas are:

• Washington, D.C.
• Charlotte
• Atlanta
• Raleigh-Durham
• Baltimore
• Chicago
• West Palm Beach
• Austin
• Seattle
• Dallas

As a new generation rethinks what career security looks like, the skilled trades are emerging as an increasingly important part of the American workforce. Read the full Future of the Skilled Trades Report for complete findings here.