Mission Statement
The Blue Collar Report exists to spotlight the industries shaping the future of work. Through original research, we examine how perceptions of career success, education, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity are evolving, and why the trades are increasingly at the center of that conversation.
The report advocates for blue collar small business owners and the essential work they do every day. By highlighting the critical role tradespeople play in our communities and economy, we aim to challenge outdated assumptions, elevate awareness of the opportunities these careers provide, and help more people see the trades as a respected, rewarding, and future-ready path.
A Year of Change
For decades, the formula for success felt straightforward: earn a college degree, land an office job, and climb the corporate ladder.
Last year, the Blue Collar Report found growing skepticism about whether that path was still worth the investment. This year, Gen Z and the parents of Gen Alpha are rethinking what career success looks like altogether.
Three years ago, our research found that nearly four in five Gen Z respondents (79%) said their parents wanted them to pursue a college education after high school, while only 5% said their parents wanted them to pursue vocational school. Today, parents have become some of the trades’ strongest advocates, with 92% saying they would encourage their child to pursue a skilled trade career if they were interested. That’s not just changing attitudes. It’s a fundamental shift in how families define success.
As artificial intelligence changes how people think about work, the skilled trades are emerging as one of the clearest career opportunities for people seeking stability, strong earning potential, and a path to business ownership.
That shift extends beyond education. If AI makes entry-level office jobs harder to secure, more Gen Z respondents say college is not the safest path to job security (42%) than say it is (36%).
More parents of Gen Alpha believe the skilled trades offer a better return on investment than a college degree by nearly three-to-one (52% vs. 18%).
Asked to parents of Gen Alpha: Which path do you believe offers the better return on investment today?
Why families are rethinking success
- 75% of parents of Gen Alpha define career success primarily through job stability.
- 68% say AI has made them rethink the stability of white collar careers.
- 45% believe schools are preparing students for a mix of traditional and future jobs.
Stability is the new status symbol
As priorities shift, so does the definition of a successful career.
Three years ago, job security and entrepreneurship were already emerging as priorities for Gen Z. Today, those motivations have expanded into a broader redefinition of success, one that values stability and financial independence over prestige.
Prestige ranked last among parents of Gen Alpha when defining career success. Just 3% selected it as their top measure of success.
Asked to parents of Gen Alpha: Which matters most to you when thinking about your child’s future career?
The shift is just as clear among younger workers. Fewer than half of Gen Z respondents (49%) find climbing the corporate ladder appealing, while 61% hope to retire before age 60.
“One of the things I love most about the trades is that you’re never done learning. Every job challenges you to solve problems, build new skills, and become better at your craft. That constant growth has not only made me a better technician, but it’s also given me the confidence to build the future I want for myself.”
AI is making hands-on work more valuable
In 2024, we asked whether AI might disrupt white collar careers. This year, families have already begun acting on those concerns, placing greater value on careers built around human expertise, adaptability and real-world problem solving.
Those are qualities many associate with the skilled trades. Rather than replacing skilled trades, AI is making them more efficient and helping business owners run smarter operations.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of parents of Gen Alpha worry about AI’s impact on future careers, and 68% say it has made them rethink the long-term stability of white collar work.
At the same time, AI isn’t making the trades less appealing. It’s helping modernize them. More than a third of Gen Z respondents (38%) say AI tools could actually make a career in the trades more appealing.
76% of Gen Z say it’s important to choose a career that is difficult to automate.
Asked to Gen Z: When choosing a career path, how important is it that the job is difficult to automate with AI?
“I got into the trades doing side jobs with my dad, and what started as a way to make extra money turned into a career I genuinely love. The trades have given me the opportunity to build a business that generates more than $4 million in revenue a year, while creating jobs and serving my community. It’s an industry where hard work and determination can truly change your life.”
Service pros are getting their flowers
Just a few years ago, the conversation centered on removing the stigma surrounding vocational education. Today, the conversation has shifted from acceptance to admiration. Americans increasingly associate the trades with entrepreneurship, innovation, financial opportunity, and long-term career growth. What was once seen primarily as manual labor is now recognized as a pathway to long-term opportunity.
One of the strongest signs of changing perceptions is that the stigma is beginning to fade. In 2025, 71% of respondents said there was stigma surrounding vocational schools compared to colleges. In 2026, that number fell to 64%.
Now, nearly seven in ten Gen Z respondents (67%) say they would recommend a skilled trade career to a sibling or friend, and 67% of parents of Gen Alpha believe the trades are becoming more relevant in today’s economy. More than two-thirds of parents (68%) say they would feel proud if their child pursued a skilled trade career.
82% of Gen Z say they see stronger job opportunities in the skilled trades today vs. not
Forget the corner office. Own the company.
Entrepreneurship has always been one of the strongest advantages of the trades. In our first Blue Collar Report, nearly two-thirds of Gen Z said they hoped to own a business someday. Three years later, that ambition has only grown stronger, with 77% saying they want to become business owners.
Parents are seeing the opportunity, too:
- 47% say the trades offer stronger opportunities for entrepreneurship.
- 51% believe the trades lead to faster financial independence.
Learning about the financial potential of the trades is also changing perceptions. After discovering that many trades professionals can earn six-figure incomes, 67% of Gen Z respondents say they become more interested in pursuing a skilled trade career. And more respondents say the trades are the fastest path to getting ahead financially (34%) than say the same about college (27%).
Nearly twice as many Gen Z respondents say the trades offer the best path to business ownership than say the same about college careers (46% vs. 24%).
Asked to Gen Z: Which path do you believe offers a better opportunity to own your own business?
For a generation that values ownership, flexibility, and financial independence, building a business through the trades has never looked more attainable.
Parents are ready. The system isn’t.
Few findings better illustrate how dramatically perceptions have shifted. In 2023, nearly four in five Gen Z respondents said their parents wanted them to pursue college after high school, while only 5% said vocational school was their parents’ preferred option. Today, parents have become some of the strongest advocates for skilled trades careers, with 93% saying they would financially support trade school and 92% saying they would encourage their child to pursue the trades.
93% of parents of Gen Alpha say they would financially support trade school the same way they would a four-year degree.
Asked to parents of Gen Alpha: Would you provide the same level of financial support for a child attending trade school as you would for one attending a four-year college?
Yet the education system hasn’t kept pace. More than three-quarters of parents (76%) today say they still feel pressure to encourage college, while 55% believe schools do not take the trades as seriously as university pathways. At the same time, 80% believe giving college and the trades equal promotion in schools would increase consideration of skilled trade careers.
Parents have changed faster than the systems that help shape career decisions.
“The trades gave me something I wasn’t finding anywhere else: a clear path to learning real skills, earning a good living, and eventually becoming my own boss. I love that the work is challenging, every day is different, and what I put into it directly impacts what I get out of it. At 23 years old, it’s given me opportunities and freedom much earlier than I ever expected.”
Students can’t choose a path they never see
Career perceptions begin forming long before students decide what comes after high school.
For many young people, meaningful exposure to the trades comes too late. By the time they’re introduced to skilled trade careers, they’ve often already committed to another path.
40% of Gen Z respondents say they learned about the trades too late to consider them as a career option.
Asked to Gen Z: Do you feel like you learned about skilled trades too late to seriously consider them?
The research points to a clear awareness gap.
- 50% of Gen Z respondents say school staff never recommended the trades.
- 48% of parents of Gen Alpha believe schools introduce the trades too late.
- 31% of Gen Z believe students should begin learning about the trades as early as middle school.
The opportunity is to make sure students understand all of the options available to them before those decisions are made. Closing that awareness gap requires more than research. Through initiatives like the Blue Collar Report, Jobber Grants, and scholarships supporting the next generation of skilled trades professionals, Jobber is committed to helping more young people understand the opportunities available in the blue collar economy before they make life-changing career decisions.
Earlier exposure won’t change every student’s path. But it will give more young people the information they need to choose the future that’s right for them.
“I got into the trades after realizing college wasn’t the right fit for me. Learning drywall finishing from my dad gave me a career where I could work with my hands, build something meaningful, and create a life I’m proud of. It’s a path that’s given me opportunities I never would have found sitting behind a desk.”
The future of work will be built by people who can build things
For generations, Americans were told there was one path to success: earn a college degree, get an office job, and climb the corporate ladder. This year’s research suggests that definition is being rewritten.
Over the past three years, the Blue Collar Report has documented a remarkable shift in how people think about work. Parents who once overwhelmingly encouraged college are now championing the skilled trades. Gen Z is placing greater value on stability, financial independence, and entrepreneurship than prestige or job titles. And as AI reshapes the workforce, careers built on human expertise, problem-solving, and hands-on skills are becoming more attractive than ever.
The skilled trades are no longer viewed as an alternative to a successful career. They’re increasingly recognized as one of the clearest paths to financial independence, business ownership, and meaningful work. As demand for skilled workers continues to grow, changing perceptions isn’t just about expanding career options. It’s about strengthening the workforce that builds and maintains the communities we all depend on.
When Jobber launched the Blue Collar Report in 2023, our goal was to understand why so many people overlooked careers that offered stability, entrepreneurship, and purpose. Three years later, the conversation has fundamentally changed.
The question is no longer whether the trades deserve more respect. It’s whether our schools, institutions, and career guidance systems can keep pace with how quickly public perceptions are evolving. The future workforce will need college graduates, entrepreneurs, skilled tradespeople, and countless other professionals. Success has never belonged to a single career path, and it shouldn’t belong to one now.
Methodology
The insights in the 2026 Blue Collar Report are based on two studies commissioned by Jobber and conducted by Conjointly.
The Gen Z study surveyed 1,033 U.S. respondents between the ages of 18 and 20. The survey was conducted in 2026 and has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at a 90% confidence level.
The parents study surveyed 1,012 U.S. parents of Gen Alpha children between the ages of 11 and 16. The survey was conducted in 2026 and has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at a 90% confidence level.
Throughout this report, references to Gen Z reflect findings from the Gen Z study, while references to parents reflect findings from the survey of parents of Gen Alpha.
