If you thought every college grad wanted a corner office and a latte machine, think again. Nearly half of Generation Z adults are trading in their diplomas for hard hats, and they are not looking back.
🔎 What We Know: A new survey from ResumeBuilder.com shows that 42% of Gen- Z adults are either working in or eyeing a blue-collar or skilled trade job. That includes 37% of those with a bachelor’s degree. Yes, you read that right—college grads are swapping spreadsheets for socket wrenches. Among those with a degree, 34% are already in a trade job, and another 3% plan to join them soon.
🛠️ Who Made it Happen: The survey polled 1,434 Generation Z adults between 18 and 28 years old. The results? Men are leading the charge, with 46% of male college grads working in or planning to enter the trades. Only 27% of women said the same.
💸 Why It Matters: The reasons for this shift are as practical as a pair of work gloves. Many young adults say they want job security, a paycheck that starts sooner, and a career that will not be replaced by a robot any time soon. Some are tired of hearing that a college degree is the golden ticket, only to find out it is more like a raffle stub. Others just want to avoid the joy of student loan debt.
🤖 Why This Should Catch Your Attention: Artificial intelligence is not just coming for your job—it is already here. Gen Z knows it. That is why so many are picking careers that require actual hands, not just fast typing. Trade jobs are tough to automate, and they are not getting outsourced to a server farm in another country.
Keep In Mind: While articles about a given generations trends or choices can be fun, these trends are often driven by necessity, not desire, rejection of an idea, or a generational movement. For example, Millennials couldn’t afford home ownership or new cars because of student loans and economic factors, not because they preferred renting and taking Uber. Gen Z is not rejecting higher education in favor of trade — the economic forces involved in higher education and landing a white collar job are likely driving their decisions.
For the full report, you can visit ResumeBuilder.com.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
