Mike Rowe says there’s one thing artificial intelligence isn’t coming for: trade jobs.
Speaking at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit on Tuesday, the “How America Works” host told the audience that AI might threaten coding jobs, but skilled trades are safe. “Yeah, well, AI is coming for the coders,” Rowe said. “It’s not coming for the welders… the plumbers, the steamfitters or the pipefitters… the electricians.”
His comments come as the skilled labor market faces a growing crisis. A wave of retirements and a lack of young talent entering the trades is shrinking the workforce.
Despite the decline in worker supply, demand is booming. According to McKinsey, infrastructure upgrades, real estate redevelopment, and the energy transition are driving the need for more trade professionals.
The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) projects the construction industry will need 439,000 new workers in 2025 and nearly 500,000 in 2026 to meet demand.
Failing to close that gap could have serious consequences. ABC chief economist Anirban Basu warned it would drive labor costs up and make many projects too expensive to complete.
Rowe has been sounding the alarm on this issue for years. In June 2024, he warned that a shrinking blue-collar workforce poses national security risks if American-made production continues to decline.
“Every year, for every five tradespeople who retire, two people replace them,” Rowe told Fox News Radio. “That math is scary. And no major company relying on skilled labor is immune.”