Skilled trades face labor shortages as retirements outpace new workers

Companies across the United States are struggling to find skilled laborers such as carpenters, mechanics, welders and electricians. Demographic data show nearly half of the skilled trades workforce is over age 55, and fewer than 9% of those ages 19 to 24 are entering the trades. As baby boomers retire, labor shortages are being felt not only nationally but locally.

Dewey Allison, a Cadiz resident and maintenance manager at Pittsburgh International Airport, said the company is struggling to find qualified entry-level mechanics.

“In our company, we have been running ads on Indeed and social media, and literally one out of 100 applicants is even qualified to interview,” he said. “We see a huge lack of qualified applicants from entry-level all the way up to Level 3, well-experienced mechanics.”

Gary Dodds, owner of Gary’s Body Shop in Cadiz, which has been operating for 45 years, said his experience is similar.

“Ohio Job Services — we’ve had job ads there for two or three years and don’t get any response,” Dodds said. He added that he began noticing difficulty finding skilled workers about 20 years ago.

Jennifer Boughner, work-based learning coordinator at Belmont-Harrison Career Centers, said she sees firsthand why the Ohio Valley continues to experience a shortage of skilled labor.

“This issue didn’t happen overnight, and it isn’t due to a lack of capable students or willing employers,” she said. “For many years, there has been a strong push toward traditional four-year college paths, often unintentionally undervaluing skilled trades and technical careers.”

The children of baby boomers, pushed toward college rather than the trades, created what Boughner described as a perfect storm. She said many highly skilled workers in the Ohio Valley are retiring, and there are not enough trained individuals prepared to step into those roles.

The outlook is not entirely bleak, particularly for young people interested in entering a trade. According to strategy and management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., the labor shortage has created significant wage opportunities, with average labor-sector salaries increasing by more than 20% since 2020.

“A 16-year-old kid can take two years of mechanics at a vocational school and make more than the teacher,” Allison said. “By year two, they can earn more than many four-year-degree graduates. There are plenty of work opportunities with paths to promotion and long-term careers.”

Dodds said attracting more young people to the trades will require incentives.

“The trade schools — I would say they’re going to have to give people an incentive to go into this type of work,” he said.

Boughner said Belmont-Harrison Career Centers offer eligible seniors early job placement opportunities and help pay for driver’s education so transportation does not become a barrier. She said awareness and early exposure are critical.

“When students can connect classroom learning with real-world experience, they are far more likely to envision themselves in those careers,” she said.

She added that skilled trades are essential to the strength and sustainability of the local workforce. Despite the stigma attached to labor jobs over the past 50 years, skilled trades offer competitive wages and job security and typically do not require accumulating large amounts of student debt.

Despite the challenges, Boughner said she remains optimistic.

“Through career and technical education, strong partnerships with local employers, expanded work-based learning opportunities, and support systems to remove barriers, we can rebuild the skilled workforce in the Ohio Valley and nationwide,” she said.