DETROIT—A new report released by the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades finds the United States will need to fill an estimated 1.7 million skilled trades openings each year through 2035, while training programs produce just 55 workers for every 100 needed.
“The State of America’s Skilled Trades: A National Report” examines 124 skilled trades occupations in all 50 states to identify where workers are needed and whether training is keeping pace. The report sets a new benchmark to support the next generation of the U.S. skilled workforce and help employers, educators and policymakers target training and investment.
This report is one of the first projects from the Alliance, founded in July 2026 by BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Co., and Google. The alliance also announced 14 new members—AT&T, Barton Malow, Blackstone, Cintas Corp., DeWalt, Dycom, Hershey Co., Manpower Group, Meta, Microsoft, Milwaukee Tool, Nvidia, Verizon, and Waymo.
To help stakeholders build talent pipeline strategies in their communities, the Alliance also launched America’s Skilled Trades Dashboard, an interactive tool covering 124 skilled trades occupations in all 50 states with more than 5,000 state- and trade-specific profiles, offering new levels of insight in an easy-to-use, searchable interface. The state- and trade-level detail in this dashboard can help policymakers, workforce boards, colleges and local leaders target solutions where they are needed, rather than relying on a single national figure.
Key findings of the report included:
- For every 100 skilled trades workers needed, training programs are producing just 55 people. It’s a real shortage — and a concerning one — but it also represents one of the biggest opportunities available today to build a lasting career with a good-paying job.
- The report identifies nine states where demand for skilled trades workers outpaces supply: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
- 86 of 124 occupations are expected to add jobs or hold steady through 2035.
- While the skilled trades look different in every state, one thing holds true everywhere: these essential careers aren’t going anywhere. For example, by 2034:
- Arizona will need 29,000 electricians
- Texas will need 86,000 auto mechanics
- North Carolina will need 19,000 carpenters
- People are interested in the skilled trades; they simply don’t know where to start. The first step toward becoming an electrician isn’t the same as the first step toward becoming a plumber, and it isn’t the same for an auto mechanic either. Guidance counselors also face challenges helping students navigate these paths. Only 1 in 4 often recommend apprenticeship, just over half often recommend trade school, and nearly 9 in 10 often recommend a four-year degree — the path most students already know. A clearer first step is needed to help high school students explore careers in the skilled trades.
- People are enrolling in skilled trades training programs, but only 1 in 2 finishes. There is good news, however: the data clearly shows what works. High-quality apprenticeship programs have a completion rate of over 90%. Getting students into the trades is only half the job. What prevents people from completing a program isn’t a lack of commitment; it’s practical barriers like transportation, childcare, and the need for a paycheck. Solving those problems will help more people start, and finish, their careers.
“The State of America’s Skilled Trades: A National Report” and America’s Skilled Trades Dashboard can be explored at skilledtradesreport.com.