Social Media Fuels Gen Z's Interest in Trades' Careers

Thumbtack, a technology company geared toward helping people care for their homes, has released findings from its second annual Future of Skilled Trades Report based on data from Gen Z respondents, their parents and home services professionals. 

With two out of three Gen Zers revealing social media has increased their interest in the trades (increasing to three out of four with a college degree), the new report spotlights this potential solution to the industry’s pipeline problem.

Gen Z is increasingly turning to social media for career advice and appears to be drawn to content showing authentic on-the-job experiences, ultimately fueling the rise of the #NoFilterWorkforce. 

In fact, social media is the second-biggest influence over this generation’s career path—above teachers, siblings and extended family. What’s more, Gen Z feels let down by traditional four-year degrees, with 90 percent of graduates feeling strongly that teens are incorrectly told college is the only way to be successful. This is leading to a major shift in how they are charting their future: as 80 percent agree, the skilled trades can be a better pathway to economic security than college, jumping to 93 percent among those with a degree.

"Gen Zers are looking for careers that allow them to work and earn money right away, while pursuing a career they enjoy and learning new skills—all qualities that the skilled trades deliver on,” said Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. “This is good news for both Gen Z and our communities: Their interest in the trades will help to fill much needed gaps as plumbers, electricians, and contractors retire, building much needed infrastructure and housing supply.”

According to Thumbtack, 55 percent of Gen Z is now considering a career in the skilled trades (up 12 points compared to last year), and increasing to 72 percent for Gen Zers with a college degree. This rising interest is directly tied to the growing popularity of day-in-the-life stories. In fact, 77 percent have seen increased attention to the trades on social media in the past year—primarily on TikTok and Instagram. All of this has led to a generation with universally high respect for and interest in the skilled trades, which opens new windows of opportunity for their careers and to redefine the future of the workforce.

Additional findings on Gen Z’s changing perceptions of the trades, their future career paths, and social media’s role:

• There’s near equal interest among Gen Z women and men in the trades (52 percent vs 57 percent respectively) – signaling a major shift from previous generations.
• Eighty percent of parents agree learning a skilled trade can be a better pathway to economic security than going to college. Yet 77 percent of parents still say they’ve encouraged their children to attend a four-year college.
• Sixty percent of skilled trades pros believe their profession is becoming increasingly ‘Instagrammable’ – the biggest cultural shift in their industry.
• Skilled trade pros are overwhelmingly satisfied in their careers with 89 percent expressing high job satisfaction – 30 points higher than lawyers and 17 points higher than doctors, the only careers more respected than the skilled trades by Gen-Z.

“After serving in the military, college felt routine, and I quickly saw myself headed down a path where I’d be sitting in an office doing the same thing day after day,” said Jack Marquardt, owner of Electric Avenue. “Instead of going into debt, I completed an electrical apprenticeship and got paid throughout the four-year process. Being an electrician means that I’m able to set my own hours and no two days look the same. Best of all, I’m able to provide a needed service that helps people improve their homes.”

Finding and hiring young workers to join their business was the number one concern home service pros told Thumbtack they’re facing today. 

Read the full report here.