[GianFabien]

When you look beyond office jobs, you see many real opportunities.

For example, there is a housing crisis. Not enough trades persons, building supplies, capital to solve that problem.

The unemployment statistics aren't detailed enough to show IBM, MS, Facebook, Amazon, etc laying off tens of thousands of employees a year, each. Last I read, over 500,000 staff have been laid off in the past couple of years.

[rsaz]

I was laid off some time ago and made an earnest effort to break into the trades. I have some experience in framing and general handiwork, but it is extremely difficult to find an apprenticeship/get on a track to certification. I’ve heard unions are extremely selective to ensure their current union members can find consistent work.

As with most things, getting into it seems to be primarily about knowing someone to get you in.

I’d love to hear more ideas/advice on finding alternative employment if anyone has any. I’m worried I won’t be able to find a normal job again.

[DivingForGold]

Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame has a piece circulating now on Fox Business that says classic trade jobs are the best bet in the age of AI. So called "white collar workers" are being laid off by the hundreds of thousands - - - but blue collar jobs are actually HIRING. I am retiring at 71 yrs. from my own "blue collar" company I started 15 years ago, I created and manage both my websites without a lick of javascript, I have averaged $150K+ a year gross, working mostly from May through October. Scuba diving in my area lakes, nothing to be ashamed of, I am out in mother nature, not locked up in a cubicle cranking out code all day. It's your choice. In 2023 I did $335K and have a solid method to add on another 100 to $200K with a related blue collar offering.

[burnt-resistor]

Manual labor can be a thing until you get too hurt to continue, and then you'll need another vocation.

Do whatever is of most value you find easy but others find difficult, specialize, find a location with more demand and less competition, brand distinctly, advertise efficiently, and make sure your prices are calibrated correctly. Maybe it's installing security systems or home automation integration.

[rcpt]

> there is a housing crisis

It's intentional. The housing problem is a policy failure. It's illegal to build homes where people want to.

[asdfman123]

> Not enough trades persons, building supplies, capital to solve that problem

No, "not enough people" is corporate speak for "the public should train our workers for us"

[_carbyau_]

One of the most frustrating things in my lifetime:

Company CEO paid-orders-of-magnitude-more-than-median-employee:

"Not enough local people with XYZ skills!"

Skilled local person: "I'm right here, just pay me properly."

Unskilled local person: "I'm right here, train me and I'll do it even at your low wage."

Local educational institution: "We could run training courses if you want to work with us on that!"

...

CEO: "Guess we'll have to get them from overseas!"

[Terr_]

Yeah, it's frustrating how they [0] deploy the phrase "worker shortage" as a sneaky euphemism, when it's equally (or more) valid to present the problem as a wages shortage.

Similarly, the world has a terrible megayacht shortage! This is obvious, because I can't find any selling for the $20k in my budget. I demand to know what the government is going to do to fix this existential threat to the nation and our very way of life!

[0] https://locusmag.com/feature/cory-doctorow-capitalists-hate-...

[bsder]

> Not enough trades persons, building supplies, capital to solve that problem.

The salaries of most tradespeople are not increasing significantly. That would imply that the field doesn't see a shortage.

Given how damaging manual labor is to your body, that's not a good bet to make.

[spencerflem]

The housing crisis isn’t solved by more tradespeople. I know an electrician who’s having trouble finding work because there’s no funding for new construction

[toomuchtodo]

Which is both odd and market dependent. I have an electrician I partner with for some work in the Midwest, and his book of work is a year out (commercial and industrial, not new resi).

[GOD_Over_Djinn]

> For example, there is a housing crisis. Not enough trades persons, building supplies, capital to solve that problem.

That has pretty much nothing to do with available supply of materials or labor. It has everything to do with burdensome zoning and permitting processes.

[accurrent]

Im not American so can't comment on the US situation. However, where I live, CS grads are facing the same problem. However, switching to trades is not an option - the salaries of trade workers are not enough to pay for housing.

I've been working for 5 solid years now at my current company, Im still the youngest hire. While my company continues to compensate me really well, I think that the new grad situation is terrible.

[platevoltage]

Yeah, I came from the automotive repair industry. The only people who made money were the shop owners, and their family members. You really have to be running your own business to make ends meet.

[nradov]

The wages for skilled trades are enough to pay for housing outside of HCOL areas like New York City and the SF Bay Area. People may need to move to restart their careers. There is high demand for electricians in Plano, TX. I understand that making that kind of move is difficult and highly disruptive but at some point workers have to face reality. Regardless of whether the root cause is AI or offshoring or higher interest rates, a lot of the old tech industry jobs are gone forever.

[toomuchtodo]

It's a good callout. Also important to note that ~4M Boomers retire a year, ~11k/day, ~2M people 55+ die every year, about half of which are in the labor force; that means ~13k-14k workers leave the labor force every day in the US, ~400k/month.

There will be jobs, but also, it might take more time and energy to find them (~12 months vs ~6 months historically). Plan accordingly (structural living expenses, cash on hand, etc).

> Last I read, over 500,000 staff have been laid off in the past couple of years.

https://layoffs.fyi/

[jackvalentine]

While ‘only’ twice as long to find a job, I get the feeling that it’s almost exponential in its impact the longer you stay unemployed.

Anyone got a way of characterising that?

[beefnugs]

Yeah my experience is that canada has always sucked: I graduated electronics engineering, then did 20 years of technician, IT, software, just whatever shit beneath my abilities that i have been offered. My resume has always been a list of things i clearly don't want to do anymore. Still get offers for photocopy repair, what a shit low paying job that was/is. But that is what life is for many people i think, can't be too picky, do what pays bills.

If you have real skills you are expected to make something of your own on the side. Nobody teaches you how capitalism really works, they want suckers to do the shit work. The ways to win are to work for yourself, eliminate as many middlemen as possible, hide sacred knowledge, come up with scams, hide bodies for rich people.