Three Skilled Trade Job Openings Exist for Every Qualified Worker, Lightcast Finds

HR Dive · United States · Aug 28, 2026

A new Lightcast report finds that skilled trades — encompassing 135 hands-on occupations and roughly 20 million U.S. jobs — face a talent gap of 1.3 million workers, with approximately 2.1 million openings annually and only one trained candidate for every three positions. Retirement is driving about 40% of annual openings, and over 25% of the current skilled-trade workforce is 55 or older, signaling deepening shortages ahead. Staffing firms specializing in construction, electrical, HVAC, and manufacturing trades face sustained high-volume placement demand, compounded by infrastructure investment, data center growth, and reshoring. On the supply side, six in ten Gen Z workers report considering skilled trade careers, offering a potential longer-term pipeline opportunity for recruiters.