Wage Growth Surges for Skilled Trade Workers as Labor Market Softens
This blog is based on the latest Q3-2025 report from BlueRecruit, revealing shifts in the skilled trades labor market. Two major insights define the quarter:
Skilled trade wage growth is outpacing the broader economy
The labor market is softening, and hiring requirements are tightening
Wage Growth in the Trades Is Outperforming the Economy
From June 2024 to June 2025, average wage growth across all U.S. sectors was 3.9%. But for skilled trades, the gains are significantly higher.
Electricians are seeing the biggest jump, now averaging $40.41/hour—up $1.93/hour in Q3 alone, a 5% increase in just three months. Demand continues to rise thanks to AI data centers and electrification projects nationwide, making electricians the most in-demand trade in the country.
Automotive Technicians also posted big gains, with wages up 10.44% from Q2, averaging $46.45/hour. While some hiring slowed due to parts shortages tied to ongoing tariffs, pay continues to climb in response to strong market demand.
Construction General Laborers experienced a smaller Q3 wage increase—just $0.18/hour—but since the 2024 Presidential election, pay has risen $3.48/hour, a 16% increase. As noted in previous State of the Trades reports, changes in immigration policy and enforcement are playing a major role in keeping these wages elevated.
Labor Market Softens, Hiring Requirements Tighten
While demand for trade professionals remains high, the labor market is shifting. More workers are looking for jobs, but employers are becoming more selective.
Job Seekers Are on the Move
July marked the highest number of skilled trade job seekers this year. Many are looking for more flexible schedules, better health benefits and higher pay. For employers, understanding these priorities is essential for running effective recruiting campaigns and building strong teams.
Hiring Requirements
As the job market loosens and immigration enforcement increases, employers are raising their hiring standards. Since the 2024 election:
58% of companies now require a clean criminal background (up 21 points)
72% require an active driver’s license (up 20 points)
For perspective, during the Q3-2022 labor shortage, only 20% of companies required clean records and just 33% required licenses.
This trend suggests a return to more traditional standards and a growing emphasis on long-term employability.
Meet BlueRecruit – Built for the Trades
BlueRecruit is a direct-hire marketplace for skilled-trade workers and the companies that need them. Unlike traditional job boards, BlueRecruit removes the noise—no resumes, no job posts—just verified skills, certifications, and experience that match what employers are actually hiring for.
For employers navigating wage changes and evolving hiring standards, BlueRecruit offers a streamlined way to find qualified talent fast.
Each year, National Manufacturing Day serves as a reminder of the vital role manufacturing plays in our daily lives. It’s a chance to honor the people behind the products, the companies that continue to innovate and the industries that keep the world moving.
Today’s manufacturing environment continues to evolve, with new technologies, processes and challenges shaping the way companies operate. But one thing remains constant, the need for a strong, reliable, skilled workforce, and a shared belief in building things that last.
National Manufacturing Day is also about looking ahead—supporting workforce development, engaging future generations and showing students and young professionals the opportunities that exist in modern manufacturing. It’s a time to educate, inspire and celebrate the many pathways into this essential field.
Whether you’re in the factory, behind the design or out in the field, thank you for the work you do.
Every wire run, every HVAC system installed, every bolt tightened—it all adds up to the world we live in. And behind every one of those essential tasks is a tradesperson.
On National Tradesmen Day, we pause to recognize the skilled professionals who make modern life possible. These are the people who show up early, stay late and solve problems most of us wouldn’t know how to begin tackling. They build, repair and maintain the systems that keep our homes, businesses and communities running.
At a time when the need for skilled labor has never been higher, it’s also a moment to encourage the next generation. The trades aren’t just jobs, they’re careers. They offer opportunity and the satisfaction of building something real. Something that matters.
To every plumber, electrician, welder, HVAC tech, carpenter and beyond, thank you. Today we honor your work, your knowledge and your commitment.
Because what you do isn’t just a trade, it’s a craft. And today, we celebrate it.
CLEVELAND –September 2025 – Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial and MRO markets, partnered with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity for Sonnhalter’s 16th Annual Tool Drive. The initiative ran the entire month of August and collected $36,000 worth of donations of tools and building materials. Since Sonnhalter began its efforts in 2010, it has raised $603,000 in donations.
Organizations, businesses and residents were encouraged to donate new and gently used tools, including various building materials, furniture and appliances, to Sonnhalter in order to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s cause of eliminating substandard housing and homelessness.
“Each year, we’re amazed by the generosity of our partners, clients and the local community,” said Matt Sonnhalter, vision architect at Sonnhalter. “We’re proud to support Habitat for Humanity’s mission and help provide the tools and materials needed to build stronger communities.”
“Each year, we are humbled and inspired by the commitment Matt and the Sonnhalter team show in supporting our mission at the Greater Cleveland ReStores,” Laura Potter-Sadowski, director of ReStores at Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. “They are a perfect example of community collaboration—bringing together their clients and friends, championing our mission to divert items from landfills, and helping us raise critical funds for our homeownership programs in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Community participants in the 16th Annual Sonnhalter Tool Drive included Berea Recreation Center, Canvas at Valor Acres, Cuyahoga County Public Library-Berea Branch, Rising Star Coffee Roasters, Skidmark Garage, St. Mary of the Falls, The Wine Spot and many individuals living in the community.
Trade industry participants in the 16th Annual Sonnhalter Tool Drive included Babcox Media, Beta Tools, Buyers Products, Endeavor Business Media, Ferret Tools, General Pipe Cleaners, Independence Excavating, Jergens, Inc., Kapro, Lakeside Supply, Ledlenser, NIBCO, Sutton Industrial Hardware, Wright and The Macomb Group/Woodhill Supply.
All donations that Sonnhalter collected on behalf of the Tool Drive benefited Greater Cleveland’s Habitat for Humanity. The donated items will be used for various projects with Habitat for Humanity or will be sold at one of the organization’s ReStores, recycled building materials and home furnishings stores. Proceeds from the ReStore sales are used to help Habitat build and rehabilitate homes for those in need.
About Sonnhalter
Established in 1976, Sonnhalter is the leading B2T marketing communications firm to companies that target professional tradesmen in construction, industrial and MRO markets. Sonnhalter is located in the historic Brownell Building in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Sonnhalter’s brand identity highlights its expertise in marketing to the professional tradesmen. Its tagline, “Not Afraid To Get Our Hands Dirty,” promotes the employees’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into clients’ businesses, also, it refers to the market it targets: the tradesmen who work with – and dirty – their hands every day. Sonnhalter developed the acronym “B2T,” which stands for “business-to-tradesmen” to capture the essence of its specialty. For more information, visit the company website at Sonnhalter.com.
About Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity engages people of all faiths to eliminate substandard housing. Cleveland Habitat was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1987. Since then, Cleveland Habitat has brought together community members, volunteers and sponsor groups to help more than 300 Habitat homeowners, including more than 1,000 children, have a safe and decent place to live. For more information on Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, visit: https://www.clevelandhabitat.org/.
Following is a guest post from our friends over at Long & Short of It, masters of ideation, customer insights and market research. They like to say they “dig and find lots of data and then turn it into actionable insights.” Following is their guest post.
While customer feedback is valuable and should be considered, you can’t solely rely on customer input to guide your marketing, process, or development. Best captured by the quote from Steve Jobs, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them.” Who knew we needed or wanted an iPhone until we saw it?
Customers may not always have a clear vision of what they want or need until they are presented with it. Their understanding or ability to articulate what they want is limited by their existing experiences and familiarity with available solutions. Therefore, solely relying on customer feedback may result in incremental improvements or iterations of existing products, rather than breakthrough innovations.
To create products or solutions that truly meet customers’ needs, it’s important to balance customer input with innovative thinking and a deep understanding of your target market. This requires going beyond surface-level feedback and uncovering the underlying pain points, desires, and unmet needs of customers. By understanding their motivations, challenges, and aspirations, you can identify opportunities for disruptive innovation and develop solutions that surpass customers’ expectations
One way of doing this is by using a variety of research methods. For example, a survey can help you understand what they want when given a choice. And, by adding in-depth qualitative interviews, it can provide you with the why or the reasoning behind what they want. Another example is when a typical brainstorming session is held. The same people get in the same room in front of the same whiteboard and are expected to come up with new ideas – which is not likely to happen. Bring in new people who think differently or know little about the problem you are solving for. Hold the session in a different environment and introduce a variety of different visual or data inputs to help spark new thinking.
Go beyond relying solely on customer feedback, using the same research methods, or generating ideas in the same way. Take a balanced and multi-disciplinary approach by combining customer input with innovative thinking and a deep understanding of your target market. This approach can empower you to drive innovation, anticipate future requirements, and find solutions you may have never thought of – and possibly create something that your customers love and never knew they needed.
This summer I had the opportunity to intern with Sonnhalter as their public relations intern. To say the knowledge and experience I have gained over the course of this internship is invaluable would be an understatement. As a communications and professional writing double major at Miami University, I have spent countless hours studying the craft of writing, public relations and marketing, but being able to apply these skills in the real-world has taken my abilities to a new level.
My first assignment as the PR intern was to write a blog about myself, this I would come to find out was the first of many, many different writing pieces I would be assigned. Whether it be narrative pieces such as covering social media marketing trends for Sonnhalter or the manufacturing process of bronze for NIBCO, I learned how to focus on a brands narrative and voice when writing. Alongside blogs, I also gained experience in writing press releases, news releases, feature pieces, personnel releases and more. Being able to hone my professional writing skills along with my knowledge of AP style will without-a-doubt benefit me as I make my way into the communications industry.
An aspect of this internship that I had not had much experience with prior to this summer was the use of media lists in public relations. Using programs such as Muck Rack, I truly learned the importance of creating and maintaining relationships with media professionals and media outlets. I also gained insight into the depth of research that public relations, marketing and advertising professionals need to do in order to most effectively represent their client.
Aside from the public relations skills I have gained from this internship, I also gained valuable experience from working remotely. Since 2020, the workforce has seen a significant increase in hybrid and remote work environments which require self-discipline, adaptability and comfort with technology, all of which I have been able to exercise over the length of this internship.
To wrap up, the skills and experiences I have gained from this internship will be beneficial both inside and outside of the workforce. While working with an amazing team at Sonnhalter, I have been given an inside look at the public relations, marketing and communications world, specifically that of the trades industry. This is an experience I will truly be forever grateful for.
