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Gen Z Reconsiders the Skilled Trades The Jobber report says that job security is one of the most important factors Gen Z considers when selecting a career. With AI now looming as a potential threat, 56% of respondents now believe that “blue-collar” jobs have more job security than “white-collar” desk jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction jobs are especially lucrative. The average weekly pay is now nearly $1,500, a 43% increase over the past decade. A third of all construction workers are now under the age of 34. According to Jobber’s data from more than 200,000 service pros, 60% of tree care businesses, 65% of plumbing businesses, and 65% of landscaping businesses earn over $1 million per year. AI also has young people questioning whether they should attend college, with 56% of respondents saying that the threat of AI has made them less willing to take on and manage student debt. Some 79% of the respondents to the Jobber survey said their parents wanted them to pursue a college education after high school, while just 5% were encouraged to explore vocational school. The construction industry is facing a deficit of more than 500,000 workers in the US. That’s in part because thousands of boomers from the skilled trades are retiring and until recently, the trades have not been attracting enough young people to fill their shoes. Spring Projects Survey The concept of spring cleaning is deeply ingrained, according to a new survey Atomik Research did for Stanley, Black & Decker. Spring cleaning and a fresh start are still priorities for 95% of adults surveyed. Top Projects: When it comes to home improvement, adults most frequently said that the kitchen (31%), bathroom (31%) and the backyard (28%) are the areas of their home that need the most attention this spring. Love it, hate it. Those adults surveyed counted gardening (35%) and organizing/decluttering (35%) as their favorite spring tasks to tackle while their most disliked tasks included cleaning gutters (35%) and cleaning windows (31%). The survey also found spring cleaning tasks and DIY projects seem to differ by generation. Younger workers continue to use their bedrooms as both a home office and a place of rest, with 42% of Gen Z respondents planning to focus on bedroom improvements, making it the most popular project for this age group. Seven out of ten adults turn to YouTube for guidance on new projects. However, Gen Z is also finding inspiration on TikTok, with 51% using the platform for DIY ideas. New tools make projects more fun. Sixty-one percent (61%) expressed high interest in purchasing new tools or equipment for their projects this season. Port of Baltimore Closures Impact the Supply Chain The Port of Baltimore ranks first in the United States for the volume it handles of construction machinery, autos and light trucks, according to the state of Maryland. Most of that traffic has been suspended since the accident, though some terminal operations outside the affected area have resumed. The Army Corps of Engineers, part of a multi-agency response team, reopened limited access the end of April and expects to have the port fully reopened by the end of May. The main channel has been blocked by wreckage since the fully loaded container ship Dali lost power and rammed into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. The Home Depot and Amazon were among dozens of companies with employees in the Port of Baltimore facilities, that assured the Biden administration that they will retain their workers there. President Biden said that 20,000 jobs depend on Baltimore’s port and the administration will do everything in its power to help people, including providing grants for employees and for affected small businesses. Self-Checkout Gets a Conscience Target plans to introduce fresh technology at their self-checkout kiosks to try to impede theft across US stores. According to Bloomberg, which cited internal documents, Target’s new tool, known as TruScan, will use audiovisual technology to detect the items shoppers scan and alert shoppers if they fail to scan an item. Target has pilot tested TruScan at some of their stores and plans to rollout the enhanced monitoring tool at all stores this year. It could improve Target’s aim to keep track of shoppers who repeatedly fail to scan all their items, even after being prompted. True Value Launches First Campaign in Decades True Value has been around for 75 years, but lately has focused on members, not customers. But now they’ve announced the launch of their "Hardware Hero" campaign, produced by ad agency Laughlin Constable. At a time when retail is down across industries, and consumers are pinching pennies, True Value is leveraging its legacy brand, deep expertise, and operational scale to ensure independent home improvement retailers thrive. CMO Jake Kalnitz said they decided to do the campaign because the home improvement process is “empowering.” He says the campaign is relatable, refreshing and fun and very different from anything in the industry. The campaign takes on all the inevitable project pitfalls and showcases the ultimate payoff of a job well done. True Value is positioned as your local place where you’ll get friendly, expert advice and great products that will get you across the project finish line. Amazon Drones On Amazon Prime Air will start delivering packages by drone in the West Valley area of Phoenix, although they are discontinuing drone deliveries in California. Amazon will continue testing drone deliveries in College Station, Texas. According to Amazon, the most popular item ordered by drone is AA batteries. Other popular choices include beauty and drugstore products. Products have to weigh less than five pounds to qualify for drone delivery. The Prime Air concept was first introduced by Jeff Bezos in 2013; it took ten years to launch the service. Amazon predicted they would make more than 10,000 drone deliveries last year; in fact, they made fewer than 100. Amazon has a new drone that is supposedly lighter, quieter and can operate in more diverse weather conditions, including light rain. The small fleet is scheduled to be upgraded to the new drone by the end of the year. © Robert Bosch Tool Corporation. All rights reserved, no copying or reproducing is permitted without prior written approval.
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