Have you noticed signs all over your hometowns saying “Help Wanted” or “Now Hiring”? If not, I think your neighborhood is in the minority.
One trade I have learned that is desperate for skilled labor are the heating and cooling companies in my city.
Both of us use the air conditioner nearly all year, or at least for the vast majority of the year, because we all live in the southeastern portion of the country where it is boiling and humid most of the time. That means the air conditioner companies stay rather busy. Not only that, they also need to employ people who absolutely know what they are doing. If you are the AC guy who comes out to somebody’s house, if it takes you forever to service the problem, you are going to have lost money because a better air conditioner professional could have done various jobs in the time it took him to do one job. It’s not just the heating and A/C companies that need skilled labor either. Just about any supplier that needs a tradesperson or a guy who can go beyond just mediocre high school skills is now looking for qualified help. Not only that, just about everyone is hiring around here! Everything from sandwich artists at the local sub shops to executive supervisors of associations all need help. If I knew how to install or repair an air conditioner, I would really want to go to work for a heating and cooling supplier in my area. I am sure that the heating and A/C professionals get treated well and fairly around here, however they do have to work hard. I often wish that I would have l gained a skill in heating and A/C when I was younger instead of getting an English degree, which is essentially useless.