26
path—including many that require four-year college degrees—
but are increasingly common throughout the skilled trades,
even for entry-level jobs.
Myth 3
Jobs in the skilled trades are hard to find
Occasionally, economic factors will heavily impact the skilled
trades. For instance, during the Great Recession of the late
2000s and early 2010s, the construction industry in the United
States lost approximately 1.4 million jobs. Perhaps because of
this massive job loss, and because of other similar blows dealt
to skilled trades industries at economic low points in U.S. history,
there is frequently an assumption that jobs in the skilled trades
are scarce or hard to find.
Certainly, the construction industry was hit harder by the Great
Recession than most other industries. The overall U.S. economy
lost about 8.7 million jobs during that economic downturn,
which would mean construction accounted for some 16 percent
of total job losses. However, construction was also at the
nexus of the recession, due to the fact that the collapse of the
housing market was the impetus for the downturn in the first
place. It’s also worth noting that all industries and job markets
tend to suffer to some degree during recessions, and that jobs
become more difficult to find across the board.
More commonly, the skilled trades are actually a healthier job
market than many other careers. Recent spikes in demand for
single-family homes, for instance, have driven huge demand for
workers in the construction industry, with many contractors and
building companies unable to find enough employees with the
skills they need. Similar trends hold true in many other trades,
where there are more jobs than there are people to fill them.
This situation creates something called a “job seekers’ market,”
where candidates with the right skills or certifications can find