Can they still afford to buy a house there?
Data from the Federal Reserve shows that among recent college graduates, the unemployment rates for majors once heralded as tickets to high-salary, high-status jobs like computer engineering and computer science were 7.5% and 6.1%, respectively. In contrast, construction services majors’ unemployment rate was just 0.7%.
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Well, employment of Indian H1B’s likely accounts for much of that high unemployment rate. Perhaps H1B hiring can be expanded more into the construction trades to get that unemployment rate up?
/sarc
With the technology available today people can work for themselves and/or form partnerships. That started when the internet was new, they called it “two guys and a desk” and the early adopters did very well.
Physical work is the wheelhouse of the young.
However, that pipe fitter at 50 is probably not fitting pipe. He’s supervising or teaching or drafting or running logistics etc. because his body is shot.
The story of nearly all the trades.
That’s why they make $80/hr with excellent benefits.
They’re worth every penny.
I have seven kids, three of which have STEM college degrees. All of them are doing great. Comically, the two richest ones have zero college. One is an Iron worker, the other started his own fuel delivery service. he’s into millions per year.
College is for those that can’t do it themselves.
GREAT!!! First two threads have been great news...
Mike Rowe would love this story! Right up his alley...He has the right idea about “the trades” also....
I believe he’s from CA also if I recall....
AI is going to tank many, many companies.
Metalworking is my trade of choice for making a living. Just the way my brain is wired I suppose. Been 34 years in the trade. At a point along my journey I did engineering related...CAD/CAM tooling & fixture design, etc...but that had me sit in front of a computer all day. Fascinating work...virtual machining environment...but just could not handle being “cocooned” in an office like that. Did it for 12 years and then went back to the shop floor where my true love is. Today I setup, operate, and maintain process quality for multi-axis CNC machining of 3D printed nickel alloy rocket engine parts. Some of these parts reach $1Million by the time that they get to my machine. Some of the machinists here (Blue Origin - Huntsville) run machines that you could park a full size SUV inside. Simply awe inspiring technology. I’m not a millionaire by a long shot. OT will get me $200K annually...but I really love going to work today. Thanks Uncle Jeff. :-)
Learn to wrench.
Good move few if any deck jockeys makes $80.50 an hour.
Trade skills are always in need.
These kids will come out of this program more responsible, financially secure, and useful to society than 90% of four year college grads
Thank you for posting some good news.
If we hadn’t fetishized college as the mark of upward social mobility and validation, these skilled trade jobs wouldn’t pay quite as well.
And if indeed AI replaces a lot of professional-class entry-level work, we may go to something closer to apprenticeship pay structures for young professionals.