Source: PeopleReady Skilled Trades, Tacoma, Wash.
In the Covid-19 pandemic wake, construction crafts is proving to be one of the segments hardest hit by worker scarcity, according to a new PeopleReady Skilled Trades analysis. From March 2020 to December 2021, four million jobs were open in key skilled trades businesses, more than double the amount of pre-pandemic vacancies.
Based on PeopleReady Skilled Trade’s review of thousands of present employment opportunities, positions with the most openings are Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers, Electricians, First Line Supervisors, Painters and Roofers. As workers continue to age out of the skilled trades, fewer candidate successors enter the field. The data PeopleReady Skilled Trades analyzed shows that 40 percent of a 12 million-strong workforce are over the age of 45—nearly half that group 55-plus—while less than 9 percent of workers entering the trades are aged 19-24.
“With so few young workers joining the skilled trades, there is real imperative for employers to develop programs that will attract new talent, while investing in and retaining their existing workforce,” says PeopleReady Skilled Trades Executive Leader Jill Quinn. “With thousands of openings in the skilled trades today, employers who find innovative ways to instill a sense of belonging and pride within their workforce and the skilled trades as a whole will have a competitive advantage for the future.”
PeopleReady Skilled Trades, a specialized division of True Blue company PeopleReady, has announced a new loyalty program. Respect the Craft affords tradespeople an opportunity to earn rewards while being celebrated and recognized for dedication to careers and critically important roles. Participants can earn up to $1,500 in cash and have a chance to be named Tradesperson of the Year, a title accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize. — www.skilled.peopleready.com
