Blue-Collar Jobs Gain Popularity As AI Threatens Office Roles

Amid AI fears, more young Americans pursue blue-collar trades, finding stability in jobs computers can’t easily replace, like plumbing and painting.

Amid rising fears about AI replacing office jobs, more young Americans are turning to blue-collar work, as reported by NBC News. Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist often called “the Godfather of AI,” recently offered a simple message: “Train to be a plumber.”

He added, “I think plumbers are less at risk. Someone like a legal assistant, a paralegal, they’re not going to be needed for very long,” as reported by NBC.

Technologists and tradespeople argue that skilled trades provide enduring job stability as computers cannot perform these tasks. Newly published Microsoft research indicates that AI impacts jobs most in sales, software development, office administration, education, legal and media fields.

The research points out how AI automation can easily perform information gathering tasks, writing duties, and teaching. However, physical tasks such as plumbing, construction, and skilled trades, remain safe from generative AI disruption as of now.

“Automation is a low threat to these jobs because it involves someone manually installing equipment, and many of those who do are getting close to retirement […] AI can’t replace parts or make improvisational decisions.” said Tony Spagnoli, director of testing and education for North American Technician Excellence, as reported by NBC.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts trade job openings will grow, while entry-level positions for college graduates stagnate, as reported by NBC. Similarly, LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman warns that AI is destroying entry-level roles that serve as career foundations.

“It is our office workers who are staring down the same kind of technological and economic disruption,” Raman said. Tasks like code debugging and legal team support, once done by junior staff, are now automated.

Tech faces the biggest shake-up, but finance, travel, food, and professional services are next. Raman argues that this will produce more social inequality as people without elite connections would fall behind.

Given this climate, NBC reports that a survey of 1,400 Generation Z adults by Resume Builder shows how 42% are either working in blue-collar or skilled trade jobs or planning to do so. The main reasons behind this choice include student debt avoidance,reducing the risk of being replaced by AI.

“More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason,” said Stacie Haller, Resume Builder’s chief career adviser, as reported by NBC.

Experts warn AI may eventually affect manual jobs too. “Robotics is really coming up,” said Andrew Reece, chief AI scientist at BetterUP, as reported by NBC. “It’ll start replacing entry level jobs, such as driving trucks and moving equipment, but it may take time to start figuring out the complex work,” Reece added.

Yet, most agree humans remain essential. “It’s a very wide misconception that we are on the verge of having humanoid robots basically replace workers. In my mind, that’s a myth,” said Ken Goldberg, president of the Robot Learning Foundation, as reported by NBC.

However, the shift is already visible. Over 27,000 U.S. jobs have been cut due to AI since 2023, including more than 10,000 in July alone. Entry-level corporate roles fell 15% in one year, while the tech industry accounted for over 89,000 reductions this year, with AI driving much of the disruption.