Nearly Half of Gen Z Is Considering the Skilled Trades as AI Reshapes Career Plans, New Thumbtack Report Finds

A changing skilled trades workforce is welcoming new entrants, embracing AI and navigating a complex market

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thumbtack, the technology company helping millions of people confidently care for their homes, today released its third annual Future of the Skilled Trades Report, revealing how AI and economic uncertainty are reshaping career decisions and fueling a new generation of tradespeople.

More than 80 percent of Gen Z surveyed say it has become harder for young people to build a stable career than it was just a few years ago, with four out of five believing AI will eliminate many traditional entry-level jobs. That uncertainty is already changing how young people are planning for their futures: 92 percent have made at least one change to their career strategy in response to the job market.

Against that backdrop, skilled trades are increasingly becoming a career of choice. Nearly half of Gen Z is learning or seriously considering a skilled trade, with 30 percent saying AI has made them more interested in the field. Three in four believe the trades may become one of the smartest career choices for their generation, signaling a broader shift in how young people define opportunity and success.

“As AI reshapes the workforce, America’s need for skilled labor is only becoming more urgent,” said Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. “The opportunity isn’t to choose between technology and the trades, it’s to bring them together. AI can help skilled professionals become more productive, build stronger businesses and spend more time doing the work only they can do.”

A new generation is reshaping the trades

The shift isn’t only happening among Gen Z. Skilled trades professionals describe a workforce being reshaped by career switchers, growing technology adoption, and strong demand.

• Career reinvention is bringing new workers into the trades. Among pros with less than two years in the industry, 38 percent previously worked in a corporate or white-collar career, while 26 percent entered the trades following burnout and a desire for a career reset.
• AI is becoming routine across generations. 35 percent of pros use AI regularly for their business, most often for marketing, customer communication, and research. Usage cuts across tenure, with 52 percent of pros with less than two years of experience using AI routinely, alongside more than a quarter over pros with 20 years or more in the field.
• Pros remain bullish on the career path. Nearly 8 in 10 would recommend the trades to a young person, with nearly half reporting higher demand and income compared with a year ago.

“There’s a lot of interest from young people who want to learn the trades,” says Deon Marecheau, owner of Antillean Restoration and Thumbtack Pro Advisor. “Bringing apprentices onto our team gives us a chance to develop talented people who can grow with our business or take those skills wherever their career leads.”

Opportunity is growing — but running a trade business is getting more complex

Strong career satisfaction and demand don’t necessarily translate into easy growth. Nearly three-quarters of pros turned away work in the past year, most often because of project fit or profitability. That selectivity reflects the realities of running a trade business, where competition, increasingly price-sensitive homeowners, and administrative demands can make it harder to turn strong demand into sustainable growth.

That tension underscores a defining challenge for the future of the trades: the country needs skilled workers, but those workers also need the tools, technology, and business support to build lasting careers.

How well local markets are positioned to meet that demand varies widely across the country. Using Thumbtack marketplace data, the report ranks the markets best positioned for the future of skilled labor based on the strength and growth of professional supply and homeowner demand. The top 10 metro areas are:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Charlotte
3. Atlanta
4. Raleigh-Durham
5. Baltimore
6. Chicago
7. West Palm Beach
8. Austin
9. Seattle
10. Dallas

As a new generation rethinks what career security looks like, the skilled trades are emerging as an increasingly important part of the American workforce. Thumbtack is committed to helping pros take advantage of that opportunity with the tools they need to build sustainable businesses. Read the full Future of the Skilled Trades Report for complete findings here.

About Thumbtack

We’re Thumbtack, a technology company helping millions of people confidently care for and improve their homes. Our homeowners get personalized guidance on what to do and when to do it as well as who to hire from our growing community of over 300,000 local service businesses. Every day in every county of the U.S., people turn to Thumbtack to complete small fixes, routine maintenance, and major improvements. With nearly 16 million 5-star reviews and counting, we help homeowners and home professionals accomplish more.

Future of the Skilled Trades Report Methodology

Gen Z Survey: This sample of 1,000 U.S. young adults (aged 16-30) was surveyed on July 20, 2026 and July 21, 2026. Sampling was calibrated to reflect population demographic distribution. DKC Analytics conducted and analyzed this survey with a sample procured using the Pollfish survey delivery platform. No post-stratification has been applied to the results. Margin of error = 3.1 percent

Thumbtack Pro Survey: Survey results are based on responses from 1,495 Thumbtack pros, consisting of 1,037 completed and 458 partially completed responses. These individuals were surveyed between June 17 and July 17, 2026. All respondents are primarily employed in the skilled trades in home construction, home maintenance or home systems. Thumbtack conducted this survey via link sharing through their internal email list. No post-stratification has been applied to the results.

Thumbtack Data: City rankings are based on available pros and consumer requests submitted on the Thumbtack platform between January 1 and July 28, 2026 for skilled trades-related services. Rankings are generated using an index that measures both labor supply strength and demand intensity for the skilled trades in each city. Labor supply strength is measured by both the number of pros available per capita and year-over-year growth in the number of available pros. Demand intensity is measured by average number of customer projects submitted per available professional, customer projects per capita, and year-over-year growth in total customer projects. All metrics in the index are standardized and equally weighted.