Everyone is talking about America’s labor shortage — but they’re talking about it wrong.

According to "The Pivot Point: AI and The Future of Commercial Contracting,” a new research report from BuildOps and Kickstand based on a survey of 606 contractors across the U.S. and Canada, the industry has reached a crossroads.

The way things have always been simply isn’t cutting it anymore.

Nearly half of contractors surveyed (47%) say more than one in five positions are unfilled. 76% report that skilled labor is still hard to find, and 69% say burnout is rising across their teams. Yet the U.S. unemployment rate is also climbing — from 4.2% in July to 4.5% in September.

So what gives?

The real issue isn’t a lack of opportunity in the trades. It’s a lack of storytelling about the people who make those opportunities possible

The Trades Don’t Need Saving — They Need Better PR

In his keynote at BuildOps Forge 2025, Mike Rowe, creator and host of the series Dirty Jobs and Somebody's Gotta Do It, argued that we’re still funneling young people toward debt and degrees for jobs that may not exist, while ignoring the builders, fixers, and operators who keep the lights on.

Rowe, a lifelong advocate for the skilled trades, says the problem isn’t ambition, it’s perception. And the trades aren’t short on talent; they’re short on recognition.

When young people tell Rowe they grew up watching Dirty Jobs and now work as HVAC techs, electricians, or builders, it’s more than a compliment; it’s proof that changing the story works. Every one of those careers started with curiosity and respect for real work. It’s a reminder that narrative is one of the most powerful tools we have to close the labor gap.

The Next Generation Is Ready

In the The Pivot Point report, 66% of contractors say Gen Z is transforming the trades through tech-savviness and openness to AI. This younger workforce brings fresh energy, and an expectation that technology should make their work easier, not harder. 

74% of contractors say their role will stand the test of time. It’s clear the trades aren’t going anywhere. 

But Rowe’s nonprofit, mikeroweWORKS, still gets calls from big projects desperate for skilled techs who just aren’t there. His answer?

They’re in the eighth grade. 

The next generation isn’t missing — they’re just waiting for a better story about what their future could look like.

And that story is starting to change. Influencers, educators, and nonprofits like Rowe’s are reframing the trades as what they’ve always been: creative, essential, and full of opportunity.

A New Narrative for the Trades

Companies like BuildOps are helping close that gap, not just by modernizing field service operations, but by changing the narrative.

By pairing AI and workflow automation with pride in craftsmanship, BuildOps is giving tradespeople tools worthy of their talent and a voice worthy of their work.

The future of the trades isn’t about replacing people with technology. It’s about elevating people through technology and making it easier for the next generation to see the trades not as a fallback, but as a foundation for the future.

Because the work that builds the world deserves to be seen, respected, and celebrated.