The CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Mike Rowe, addressed how artificial intelligence will reshape employment, noting insights from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and pointing out that many skilled trade positions in data centers now offer salaries of six figures or more.
A severe shortage of skilled tradespeople across America is prompting warnings from major employers, as businesses confront growing demand for workers to construct, maintain, and power the nation’s infrastructure.
Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, appeared on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” with Stuart Varney to discuss the expanding skilled‑labor gap, the influence of AI on jobs, and initiatives aimed at directing more Americans toward trade careers.
Mike Rowe cautions that the U.S. skilled workforce is confronting a severe labor shortage, calling it the “problem of the decade.” (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)
According to a recent Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades report, the United States is projected to encounter about 1.7 million skilled‑trade job openings annually through 2035, yet training programs currently graduate only around 55 workers for every 100 positions required.
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Rowe emphasized that the shortfall varies by trade and region, yet the overall impact is evident across most skilled occupations.
A new Trump administration regulation links federal student‑loan eligibility to post‑graduation earnings, creating pressure on higher‑education programs whose graduates do not meet specified income thresholds.
He observed, “We are seeing shortages that are largely universal across many trades, but each occupation and each state shows its own level of disparity,” Rowe noted.
Rowe noted that the issue’s urgency has become unmistakably clear in his discussions with corporate executives.
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He added, “Each week I receive calls from CEOs of major firms who are alarmed. The workforce challenge is the defining issue of the decade and will not resolve unless we adopt a new strategy,” he said.
Ed Brady, President and CEO of the Home Builders Institute, highlighted how a acute construction‑worker shortage is intensifying the U.S. housing crisis and how the rapid expansion of AI data centers is diverting skilled labor away from residential home building.
Concurrently, Rowe indicated that perceptions of trade careers are shifting, influenced by escalating tuition costs for four‑year degrees and growing concerns about AI’s potential to disrupt the job market.
He reported, “Demand through my foundation has surged tenfold compared with this time last year,” Rowe said. “Clearly, something has shifted, and I believe AI plays a significant role in that change.”
