Story perspectives

Blue-Collar Unemployment Hits Record Low as Skills Gap Widens

9/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Labor Department reports record-low unemployment among blue-collar workers aged 22-34 without college degrees.
College-educated 22-34-year-olds have unemployment rates worse than 70 % of months since 2003.
The August jobs report added 162,000 nonfarm jobs, including 59,000 in food service.
Baby-boomer retirements and reduced immigration shrink skilled-trade labor, widening the supply-demand gap, says Burning Glass Institute chief economist Gad Levanon.

1 of 1

Story summary

U.S. Labor Department reports record-low unemployment among blue-collar workers aged 22-34 without college degrees.
College-educated 22-34-year-olds have unemployment rates worse than 70 % of months since 2003.
The August jobs report added 162,000 nonfarm jobs, including 59,000 in food service.
Baby-boomer retirements and reduced immigration shrink skilled-trade labor, widening the supply-demand gap, says Burning Glass Institute chief economist Gad Levanon.