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.