The trades are getting younger and it’s happening fast. ADP Research’s Today at Work 2025 Issue 3 report shows the median age of electricians, plumbers, carpenters and HVAC professionals has fallen by as much as five years since early 2020. In contrast, the overall U.S. workforce has become only one year younger during the same period.

This shift signals more than a demographic change. As experienced tradespeople retire, they take decades of field knowledge with them, leaving a widening skills gap. Construction leaders must now translate that expertise into systems, technologies and cultures that align with a new generation of workers.

Reprinted courtesy of Kit Dickinson, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.