Jun 2, 2026
Rising layoffs, economic uncertainty, the threat of AI. Young Americans have rarely been more pessimistic about the job market — and it’s pushing some to reconsider their career paths. A growing number of young people are eyeing the skilled trades, hoping it’ll bring stability and six-figure salaries.
For Matt Panella, the trades brought exactly that. At just 15 years old, Panella faced a life-changing decision when his now-wife became pregnant with their first child. Panella’s school tried to encourage him to follow a traditional path and still apply for college. He took a different route instead.
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“Ultimately what I ended up doing was dropping out of high school—which I don’t condone,” Panella told Fortune. “I went to work with my dad on site, who worked for another contractor at the time, at the age of 15.”
Panella began working for just $8 an hour as a laborer on his dad’s sites. By watching his older coworkers, he eventually learned how to install hardware and roof systems. He also built his skills through online forums.
After three years, he was making $18 an hour; that rate climbed to $30 an hour by the time he was 21. In 2018, he launched his YouTube channel, posting anything from homebuilding tutorials to tool-belt reviews. Just one year later, at the age of 22, Panella was bringing in around $200,000 annually through his construction work and his social media.
He now has 500,000 subscribers on YouTube, with his videos amassing over 118.5 million views.
“I get a lot of messages from people telling me that they took the path that they were told to take, and now they’re at a point in their life where—say, [in] their mid 30s—they want to get into something that they actually enjoy,” Panella says.
Rising pessimism toward the job market
For Panella, the risk he took at 15 has paid off. But his success story comes at a time when many are worried about their futures. A new Gallup study found growing pessimism about the job market — and the concern is being driven by young Americans. Just 43% of respondents aged 15 to 34 said it was a good time to find a job locally. That’s 21% lower than Americans 55 and older. The gap between younger and older adults is the largest of any country when it comes to job market perception.
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Optimism about the job market has also seen a steady decline. Since 2023, younger Americans’ optimism has fallen by 27% — a drop not seen since 2007.
Faced with widespread layoffs, changing work-from-home requirements and the threat of AI, it’s not surprising young people are concerned about the future. And growing disillusionment is pushing more young people to consider the trades. A 2025 report found 62% of white-collar workers said they’d give up their career for the trades if it meant better pay and more stability.
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Is it time to pivot careers?
Panella says breaking into the trades industry is an option for anyone. College degrees are not a requirement and many office jobs have transferable skills.
“Depending on the career path that you had prior, it could lead you into an amazing career in the trades because of your attention to detail or what you’ve done,” Panella says. “Everything translates.”
It’s also an industry where the AI boom is actually creating more jobs. The Associated Builders and Contractors trade group says the industry will bring in 456,000 workers by 2027. And with 92% of construction firms reporting trouble finding workers, the opportunity is there for the taking.
“The industry is booming,” Panella says. “We’ve grown a trillion dollars annually. We’re one of the top five industries. There’s money flowing everywhere.”
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Rinna Diamantakos is an assigning editor at Moneywise.com. A versatile journalist, she has experience as a writer, editor and producer. Her work has focused on politics, business and financial news.
