More women than ever are choosing blue

collar jobs.

>> Well, a number of factors are driving

the trend of more women in blue collar

jobs, including companies broadening

their recruiting efforts in a tight

labor market. How there's also better

jobs available to women now, better

paying jobs, and also they're

recognizing they won't be alone in those

careers.

>> As of 2025, only 3.5% of electricians

and 3.1% of plumbers and carpenters are

women.

>> The number of women working as

electricians in the US has increased

over the past two decades. and the

number of women working as carpenters

has increased by 17% over the same

period.

>> These jobs seem more secure as they

require human skills that are difficult

for AI to replace.

>> So the reason why I chose the

engineering environment and construction

in general because I that made me

realize when I was choosing my career

path that's something that AI won't take

over.

>> However, the demand for men in these

positions has led women to also pursue

these jobs. You have major industry in

this country which cannot find people.

>> For women especially that creates

opportunities for employment growth and

rising salaries.

>> In addition, these jobs are experiencing

wage growth. For example, a female

plumber earns $60,000 per year.

>> Since 2019, average starting salaries

for skilled workers has risen over 25%

from $1870 an hour in 2019 to 2343 an

hour in 2025. What once seemed like jobs

only for men are now becoming attractive

to women due to financial pressures and

the rise of AI. So why are women

choosing blue collar jobs?

In recent years, the construction

industry and technical trades have begun

to face a growing problem that threatens

their development. Many workers with

years of experience are reaching

retirement age, leaving vacancies that

are not easily filled. It is estimated

that more than 25% of the construction

workforce will retire in the next

decade, raising concerns about who will

continue this work. At the same time,

cities continue to grow and require more

housing, roads, and basic services,

increasing pressure on this sector. In

addition, the advancement of artificial

intelligence is changing the way people

work in many areas. Many companies are

cutting costs by trimming middle

management and in certain industries

eliminating entry-level roles that can

be replaced by AI. Nearly 40% of office

jobs could be replaced or modified by

automated systems in the coming years.

As a result, many people are looking for

safer and more stable jobs. This has led

technical trades to be seen as a

reliable option because they depend more

on human labor. However, the sector also

faces significant obstacles. Low female

participation and certain cultural

barriers limit the number of people who

can enter, worsening the labor shortage.

We have a disproportionate experience of

harassment and discrimination against

women on construction sites. Women often

will end up on these sites as

apprentices and not be given the

opportunities to learn the kind of broad

base of skills that their male

counterparts are able to learn. One of

the most relevant aspects of technical

jobs is that they are difficult to

automate. Unlike office jobs, these

roles require manual skills, the use of

tools, and direct interaction with the

physical environment. This makes it

difficult to replace workers with

machines. Currently, less than 10% of

construction tasks can be fully

automated. Each project has different

conditions and presents problems that

must be solved in real time, requiring

constant adaptation. In fact, two out of

every six activities require the direct

presence of a person to be completed

correctly. This demonstrates that human

labor remains essential. Additionally,

the sector performs more than 300

million tasks per year, reflecting its

importance to the economy and daily

life. The combination of technical

skills and problem solving ensures that

these jobs remain essential even in an

increasingly automated world. Experts

say it will be a while before robotics

can do the intricate work involved in

trades like plumbing. Another important

aspect is that technical jobs offer

economic stability. The shortage of

workers has led to rising wages in

recent years, improving the living

conditions of those in this sector. For

example, this graph shows the increase

in wages in one of the most in- demand

manual jobs in the United States. As

early as 2005, the average salary of an

electrician was around $45,000 per year.

Today, that value has grown

significantly, nearly doubling. In some

cases, incomes have grown 15% above

inflation, improving purchasing power.

This makes these jobs attractive for

those seeking stability without spending

many years studying. In addition, the

training time is shorter than in other

professions. This allows people to start

working and earn money more quickly. In

fact, 6 out of 10 workers achieve

economic stability faster than in

traditional careers. It is also

important to consider that the economic

activity generated by this sector

exceeds $500 million, highlighting its

importance in national growth. These

types of jobs allow women to advance

professionally through practical

experience, offering long-term security.

>> For workers like Jerry Lee, who bypass

traditional colleges, there are

physically demanding yet stable and

high-paying career option.

>> Despite these advantages, the sector

faces a serious problem due to the lack

of workers. Many employees are retiring

and there are not enough new workers to

replace them. It is estimated that more

than 500,000 new workers are needed each

year to maintain the current pace of

activity. This shows that the shortage

is significant and cannot be ignored.

However, many people still do not

consider these jobs as a professional

option, partly due to prejudices about

manual labor. As a result, only 30% of

vacancies are filled on time. This

causes delays in important projects and

increases construction costs. In fact,

four out of eight companies face project

delays due to difficulties in finding

qualified workers.

>> They are saying we cannot find the

workers we need. And that in turn has

effect on of course not only the quality

of construction but also how long does

construction take.

>> Low female participation also limits the

sector's growth. Although interest among

women has increased, their presence

remains low. Currently less than 4% of

the construction workforce is made up of

women. Women often do not receive the

same opportunities as men to participate

in key technical tasks which limits

their professional development. It is

estimated that more than 200,000

positions could be filled by women if

better access and retention conditions

existed. Additionally, one in three

women consider the work environment a

factor that makes it difficult to remain

in the sector. This shows that it is not

only about opening doors, but also about

ensuring adequate conditions to stay and

grow. Get into the union and you can

make six figures or better. It

completely changes a woman's life. We

tell the women, not only are you going

to make raises, you're going to know

when those raises come, so you can

anticipate when you're going to be

making enough money to buy a home.

>> In response to this situation, technical

training programs have become an

effective solution. These programs allow

people to learn while working, making it

easier to enter the sector. On average,

more than 70% of participants obtain

certification in a short time. This

helps them enter the labor market

quickly and improve their skills. In

addition, more than 300,000 people

participate in these programs each year,

demonstrating their growing importance.

In comparison, 75% of graduates secure

stable jobs shortly after completing

their training. For example, this graph

compares university graduates who find

jobs versus graduates of skilled trade

programs. In 2010, only 60% of

university graduates found employment,

while technical graduates reached close

to 50%. This model efficiently combines

practical experience and theoretical

learning, better responding to current

labor market needs and reducing

dependence on long and costly education

paths.

>> It's all the above actually. What we

need is young people coming out of high

school going into technical jobs. Uh

sometimes it's a 2-year degree. We need

current workers to upgrade their skills.

>> The shortage of workers in the technical

and construction sector not only affects

the industry, but also the economy as a

whole. It delays important projects and

limits the development of infrastructure

necessary for daily life. It also

creates indirect effects on other

sectors that depend on construction and

technical services. On the other hand,

increasing female participation could

generate a significant economic impact.

It is estimated that this could increase

GDP by 10% due to higher purchasing

power and greater workforce

participation. Additionally, the

economic impact of this inclusion could

exceed $600 million in different

scenarios. For this reason, 90% of

economies that promote labor inclusion

achieve better results in sustained

growth. This demonstrates that

addressing this issue can benefit

everyone. And so, we really do need to

be looking outside of our state's

borders and outside of our nation's

borders to help identify how we can

recruit workers to fill the jobs that we

have available. The shortage of workers

in the technical and construction sector

is a growing problem that affects both

the economy and societal development.

Furthermore, including more women and

providing specialized training can be a

key strategy to overcome this crisis and

strengthen long-term economic

development.

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