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Skilled Trade Wage Facts
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Topic starter
Greetings all - As many of you know, my goal is to pressure the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to update its primary method of collecting wage data. As many of you may not be aware, BLS has collected most of its data through 100% voluntary questionnaires delivered primarily by the US mail for decades.
Specific to skilled trades, I ask a simple question, who has seen one of the questionnaires and taken the time to complete and return it? Seeing that most skilled trade shops are trying to keep their head above water and keep up with the work, there is little time for even more admin work. Or am I wrong here? 🤓
Here is where it gets interesting..
The BLS is staffed with some VERY smart people who the US Congress mandates to provide data to the government and, by extension, the public. When the survey returns are on the lite site, they extrapolate. Result, specific to what I care about, Skilled Trades wage data that BLS reports HAS BEEN, CURRENTLY IS, and will CONTINUE to be from 30% to 60% understated.
This data is quickly scooped up by public school systems and colleges who gladly feed the narrative that Skilled Trades DON'T pay.
Hence, about 60% of graduating high school students go to college and take on debt.
Until BLS changes data collection, skilled trades will experience labor shortages.
With all that said, SkilledTradeRescue.com (STR) is collecting REAL wage data, and we need your help. Our goal is to collect data from 50,000 working skilled trade pros. Once we reach our goal, I intend to get in front of the US Congress with a collation of the willing that I am assembling to present our findings.
Currently, our collation of the willing consists of tenured professors in economics and public policy and WE HAVE ROOM FOR MORE 😀.
So here is my ask, PLEASE stop by our survey page, have a look at the video at the top of the page and strongly consider participating in our survey if you currently work in skilled trades. If you are a skilled trade business owner, please consider encouraging your technician to complete the survey as well.
Here is the link:> https://skilledtraderescue.com/strsurveys/
This topic was modified 1 year ago by Martin King
Posted : June 3, 2023 6:26 pm
Wow, man, this is interesting. I talked with my uncle, who has been a plumber for 20 years. He confirmed there are major labor shortages. I Googled plumber wages in California. Looks like $31.34 /HR? My uncle says that's about right for a SECOND YEAR APPRENTICE! My uncle is works for a non-union shop and makes about $62.75 + benes. He said something about the prevailing wage, not sure of the details of that, but is said if he worked for a union shop on a prevail wage job be would be making well over $70.00 per hour.
Crapolla! My uncle makes $62.75 x 2080 (hours in a work year per Google) that's $130K. Dam!!
I am graduating HS in a few weeks I'm going to check this out.
Posted : June 3, 2023 6:44 pm
Topic starter
Hey Maxwell - Welcome to the growing community of folks who are taking the time check out Trades and to NOT drink the Kool-aid being peddled by the massive, college is a one size fits all option for everyone, crowd. Keep me posted, and thanks for posting to our forum, as your updates will help others struggling with the same; what the heck is the best way to go, the challenges you are facing.
This post was modified 1 year ago by Martin King
Posted : June 3, 2023 10:42 pm