The State of America’s Skilled Trades
September 30, 2026
At a Glance
A national report and interactive dashboard reveal the forces shaping America’s skilled trades workforce, and opportunities to strengthen career pathways, guide investment, and build capacity for the future.
America’s economic future depends on its skilled trades workforce. More than 18 million people work in these occupations, contributing an estimated $3.8 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2025. As investments and technological change reshape demand and experienced workers retire, strengthening this workforce is a national priority.
Meeting that demand requires more than recruiting people or adding training seats. The State of America’s Skilled Trades establishes a national benchmark for understanding where the workforce is strong, where it is under pressure, and what it will take to build capacity for the future.
The report identifies five key findings:
- Demand is substantial, and preparation is not keeping pace with growth and replacement needs. Employers will need to fill approximately 1.7 million openings annually. Nearly one in four workers is 55 or older, and measurable formal pathways prepare roughly 55 people for every 100 workers needed.
- There is no single skilled trades shortage. Needs differ sharply by occupation and place, requiring responses tailored to local demand, workforce conditions, and training capacity.
- Skilled trades workers enter through multiple pathways, but hands-on learning in the workplace is essential. Postsecondary education, Registered Apprenticeship, employer-led on-the-job training, and direct entry all play important roles. In occupations representing roughly two-thirds of skilled trades employment, work itself is part of the typical preparation or entry pathway.
- Too many potential workers are lost between preparation and careers. Among every 100 apprenticeship starters, 48 complete and 29 enter a trade occupation within five years of leaving the apprenticeship. Among related postsecondary program entrants, 48 complete and 34 work in a skilled trade.
- Perception of the trades is positive, but information and navigation gaps remain. While 95% of counselors view trade school as a valuable and credible option, only 54% often recommend it, and only 28% often recommend apprenticeship.
The report pairs these findings with occupational profiles, case studies, and priorities for strengthening training quality, connecting workforce systems, improving career navigation, and targeting investment.
The companion America’s Skilled Trades Dashboard lets users explore national and state-level data on employment, training pathways, projected demand, and workforce conditions. Together, the report and dashboard examine 124 occupations, helping employers, educators, labor organizations, policymakers, and funders understand where pressures arise and make informed decisions about where to act.
Acknowledgments
JFF thanks the founding members of Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades—BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google—for their leadership, collaboration, and investment. We also thank the Burning Glass Institute for leading labor market research and analysis; the Harvard Project on Workforce for its collaboration and expertise; and the Ad Council Research Institute for research on interest in skilled trades careers.
