Jobber research reveals that whereas households see the dangers of white collar paths and the resilience of blue collar work, stigma and outdated college steering nonetheless steer college students towards school

Jobber, the main supplier of residence service software program, immediately launched The Annual Blue Collar Report: Gen Z and the Blue Collar Revolution. Based mostly on survey responses from greater than 1,000 U.S. college students (ages 18–20) and 1,000 dad and mom, the report finds that whereas households more and more acknowledge the instability of conventional white-collar careers and the long-term potential of the trades, outdated perceptions and lack of expertise are protecting Gen Z locked into the college-first mindset.

“We’re at a crossroads,” mentioned Sam Pillar, CEO and cofounder of Jobber. “Gen Z is getting into the workforce at a time of rising prices, shrinking job safety, and fast automation. But regardless of these challenges, too many are nonetheless defaulting to varsity. The trades characterize a resilient, entrepreneurial path ahead, and it’s time we begin treating them as first-choice careers, not fallback choices.”

Confidence in school fades, however habits persist

This 12 months’s findings expose a pointy divide between what households know and the alternatives they make. Solely 16% of Gen Z dad and mom consider a level ensures long-term job safety, but 75% of Gen Z nonetheless plan to pursue one. The Schooling Information Initiative places the true value of a bachelor’s diploma at greater than $500,000 when factoring in loans and misplaced earnings. On the identical time, layoffs in tech and finance are accelerating, whereas demand for expert trades continues to develop effectively above the nationwide common (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

AI raises the stakes for future-proof careers

AI is accelerating the necessity for careers which are more durable to automate, and households are taking discover:

• 72% of fogeys say they’ve mentioned automation’s affect with their kids
• 77% of Gen Z report that selecting a profession immune to automation is a high precedence
• Mother and father overwhelmingly level to trades as safer than digital roles, stating carpenters (56%), plumbers (54%), and electricians (51%) as extremely AI-resilient, in comparison with simply 18% for software program builders and 11% for accountants

For Gen Z, recognizing this shift might imply the distinction between chasing vanishing jobs and constructing lasting safety.

Trades supply stability, however stigma holds again motion

The trades stay some of the resilient profession paths in an AI-driven financial system, providing stability, upward mobility, and the possibility to construct a enterprise. Mother and father are starting to acknowledge this, however their actions haven’t caught up.

• 73% of fogeys agree that commerce entrepreneurs take pleasure in higher long-term safety than tech workers, however solely 7% of fogeys would like their youngster pursue a vocational path
• 71% of Gen Z and 63% of fogeys nonetheless see commerce college as much less favorable than college, proof that stigma stays a serious barrier

It is a missed alternative as commerce companies exhibit sturdy incomes potential. In keeping with Jobber knowledge, plumbing and HVAC corporations, for instance, report median product sales of $416,120 and $390,594, exhibiting that careers within the trades can ship each stability and prosperity.

Faculties hold trades off the radar

Highschool steering continues to be pushing college students towards school.

• 76% of Gen Z say college was actively promoted, whereas solely 31% keep in mind commerce college being inspired
• 59% of Gen Z who didn’t apply to an apprenticeship program mentioned it was as a result of they didn’t have sufficient info

That reveals the actual barrier isn’t curiosity within the trades, it’s entry and consciousness.

Along with survey findings, the report contains firsthand tales from commerce entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. who spotlight the monetary safety, flexibility, and sense of objective the trades supply.

“Proudly owning a trades enterprise has given me a life I by no means imagined potential,” mentioned Hunter Patrick, proprietor of Dumpire Junk Elimination. “Working within the trades gives good cash, however operating your personal enterprise takes it to a different degree. It’s made me extra assured, financially safe, and actually blissful, all as a result of I selected to construct my future within the trades.”

To entry The 2025 Annual Blue Collar Report Powered by Jobber, go to jobber.com/bluecollarreport.

Report Methodology

The 2025 Annual Blue Collar Report Powered by Jobber attracts on two surveys commissioned by Jobber and carried out by Conjointly. The primary, fielded in Might 2025, gathered responses from 1,042 U.S. college students aged 18–20 who’re at present attending or contemplating school or graduate college. The second, carried out in June 2025, surveyed 1,336 U.S. dad and mom of youngsters aged 18–20 in the identical class. Each surveys carry a margin of error of ±3 share factors on the 90% confidence degree.