Why are so many young adults turning to blue-collar careers?

As more of Generation Z enters the workforce, their career choices vary slightly from those of previous generations.
“Seventy-eight percent of Americans have noticed growing interest from young adults around blue-collar professions,” according to a report by the Harris Poll with Intuit Credit Karma. And as many as “50% of Gen Z who aren’t currently involved in trade careers plan to make the switch into trade work — more than double the 23% of Americans as a whole.”
Many try out college, decide it’s not for them, and go the trade route. That was the case for hairstylists Laney Brinkerhoff and Megan Robertson.
“Doing hair wasn’t always part of my plan. I wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse, and I went to (Utah Valley University) for about a year and a half, dropped out, and didn’t really know what to do with my life,” Brinkerhoff told the Deseret News. “And so I was debating between going to hair school, being a flight attendant or doing ultrasound tech.”
Growing up, Robertson never planned on hairstyling as a career, either. She’d heard stereotypes and stigmas surrounding trade jobs, specifically cosmetology. She went to college for two years, earning her associate’s degree before she finally decided to change her path.
“Hair school — or trade school — always seemed like the options for people that dropped out of high school,” Robertson said. “So I always had that thought process when I was in college, that it wouldn’t be a good enough career.”
She added that it took role models like Jessi Ngatikuara, co-owner of JZ Styles, where Robertson and Brinkerhoff now work, to realize that a person can have “such a successful career and be able to do something they love in a trade job. I think that was something that had a lot of weight on my decision.”
The salon industry has a global revenue of $128 billion, with $58.2 billion in the United States alone, according to a Gitnux 2024 report.
“There’s always going to be people needing their hair done,” Robertson said. “If you think about it, everyone’s a client or has the potential to be a client. And so, once you realize that this industry isn’t dying anytime soon, and if you put in the work, you will see the benefits.
It’s safe to assume that most people want to devote their time to a career they enjoy and find purpose in. Still, a little over half (51%) of Americans are truly satisfied with their jobs — a big reason being the lack of promotion opportunities or pay.
“There’s a lot more opportunity in this field than anyone ever realizes,” Robertson told the Deseret News. “You can be financially stable, work the hours you want and you’re technically your own boss. I would say ignore what you’ve heard about trade school or even hair school and try it out.”
“A lot of people always have the idea of owning their own business, but they don’t realize they can do that in a trade career.”
A majority of Americans (64%) believe that taking on student loan debt is not a worthwhile investment for a college education, the Harris Poll reported. And more than three-quarters (77%) feel that the idea that college is necessary for a successful career is outdated.
The time and money it takes to graduate from a trade school versus a traditional college can also be significantly cut, adding to the enticement for those on the fence.
Brinkerhoff and Robertson attended school part-time so they could also work, resulting in a 15-month graduation instead of the typical nine months. Now fresh into their careers and gaining clientele, Brinkerhoff said the skill sets she’s achieved far exceed just what she can do with a comb and blow-dryer.
“It’s a career where you meet people every day,” Brinkerhoff said, emphasizing the social skills needed to enhance client relations. “I love people, and meeting new people who become your friends is very rewarding.”
Brinkerhoff recently did a client’s wedding hair, emphasizing the stress of getting it right while maintaining confidence in her skills.
“When I turned her around and showed her the finished look, she got teary-eyed and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love it,’” she recalled. “Those opportunities with my clients make it all worth it.”
“There are so many opportunities for my personal and professional growth as a hairstylist,” she added. “It feels very entrepreneurial at times, so I do have the stress of building clientele to be successful, but that’s also part of the benefit of going into it a trade.”