The Q4 State of the Trades is here! As we do every Quarter, we took a deep dive into the trends of skilled trade hiring and bring you the highlights.
Here are our biggest take-aways:
The trend of Employers removing their minimum education requirement appears to have stalled. At the end of Q2, 65% of employers were no longer requiring a minimum education level for jobs, in Q3 that figure grew to 77% but is now at 76%. We do not anticipate this percentage growing beyond the 80th percentile in 2023.- The same trend can be seen amongst Employers no longer requiring clean criminal backgrounds. That percentage peaked in 2022 during Q3 at 80% but has since lowered to 73%, also the 2022 average.
- In what is likely the most shocking data points of Q4 and 2022 overall, is the increase in pay for General Laborers. During the quarter, there was a delta of ($1.06) between what Employers are offering and Job Seekers are seeking in terms of compensation for entry-level positions. The average delta for 2022 was ($1.04) – the clearest indication that the labor market remaining a “Job Seeker Market”.
- California, was the fastest growing Job Seeker market of the Quarter, surpassing a spot held by either Texas or Florida for the other Quarters.
- For the 1st time in 2022, HVAC Technicians were not the most in-demand skilled workers in the US. Rather, Automotive Mechanics took the top spot. Look like we have some bitter Arctic air to thanks for that…just wait till July HVAC Techs!
- A Class-A CDL License was the most in demand certification for both Q4 and 2022 as a whole. Next time you’re at the store and the toilet paper aisle is full, remember to thank a trucker!
- Future Projection: For the 2nd Quarter in a row, Asphalt Technicians and Concrete Installers/Finishers both made the “Most In-Demand Trades” List. The influx of Infrastructure Bill money into the economy is the driving force behind this growth and expected to continue for at least the next two years.
The trend of Employers removing their minimum education requirement appears to have stalled. At the end of Q2, 65% of employers were no longer requiring a minimum education level for jobs, in Q3 that figure grew to 77% but is now at 76%. We do not anticipate this percentage growing beyond the 80th percentile in 2023.