Press & Data · Updated May 2026

Free-to-cite data on the skilled trades.

JobStack publishes original, sourced analysis of the U.S. skilled trades — wages, the labor shortage, seasonal demand, and the solo-business landscape — drawn from the BLS, the U.S. Census, ABC, NCCER, and NAHB. Journalists, researchers, and writers are welcome to cite any of it, free, with a link back to JobStack.

Fast facts

The most-cited numbers, each with its primary source. Lift any of them with attribution.

2.88 million U.S. construction businesses have no employees. (U.S. Census Nonemployer Statistics, 2022)
~75% of construction establishments have no employees at all. (U.S. Census)
90.7% of construction nonemployers are sole proprietorships. (U.S. Census, 2021)
439,000 additional construction workers were needed in 2025. (Associated Builders & Contractors)
~649,300 average annual openings in construction & extraction, 2024–2034. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
~41% of the construction workforce is nearing retirement. (NCCER)
$63,800 median annual wage for plumbers — the highest-paid major trade. (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
$63,190 median annual wage for electricians (top 10% earn over $108,510). (BLS OEWS, May 2025)

The full studies

Skilled Trades Statistics (2026)

Every key trades number in one place — sourced and ready to cite.

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Wage & Job-Outlook Benchmarks (2024–2034)

Median pay, growth, and openings across eight trades.

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How Many Tradespeople Run a One-Person Business

Census data on no-employee construction firms.

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The Skilled-Trades Labor Shortage, in Numbers

Openings, retirements, and the worker gap through 2034.

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Trade Demand Seasonality

When each trade gets busy, season by season.

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Trade Salary & Licensing by State

Median pay and licensing for every trade, all 50 states.

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About JobStack (boilerplate)

JobStack is an AI-powered CRM built for solo tradespeople — electricians, plumbers, handymen, and lawn care operators. It handles scheduling, invoicing, and customer communication, and its AI texts customers back, drafts estimates from voice notes, and follows up on unpaid invoices automatically. Plans run $29–$99/month. JobStack is pre-launch; the customer app will live at my.jobstackcrm.com once it ships.

Media & data requests

Need a specific cut of the data, a quote on the trades economy, or a custom figure for a story? We're happy to help and to point you at the primary sources.

hello@jobstackcrm.com

More: all research & data, salary by state, and cost guides.