Currently, the demand for construction workers is high in the United States. As contractors look to fill open positions, they must consider what type of labor is right for the task at hand. Two labor types exist in all economies: skilled labor and unskilled labor.
At Tradesmen International, we recognize the demand is rising for skilled individuals with specific qualifications and expertise. By providing access to skilled staffing across a range of industries, we help clients support their core workforce with skilled craftworkers. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between skilled and unskilled labor.
What Is Skilled Labor?
What is the skilled labor definition according to experts? Skilled labor refers to workers who possess abilities, training and safety-minded expertise within their industry. They bring proven experience and knowledge to jobsites and construction businesses.
Skilled laborers may have attended a vocational school, university, community college, technical school or learned their skills on the job as an apprentice. Examples of skilled labors include:
What Is Unskilled Labor?
An unskilled laborer refers to a worker who lacks technical training, on the job training and expertise within a trade. These individuals are, of course, typically safety trained on jobsites. Though unskilled labor jobs are important, they represent a part of the construction workforce with limited skills. The demand for unskilled laborers has decreased due automation and technology that shakes up the workforce by performing some low-skill jobs more efficiently than humans.
Examples of unskilled laborers include wire pullers, demolition clean-up and jobsite helpers.
Because of technological advancements, lack of training and growing wages within the skilled trades, many unskilled laborers are choosing to advance their skillsets to enter the skilled labor workforce. Employers may see a larger pool of skilled labor for hire in the future.
Get a Skilled Labor Workforce to Your Jobsite
Specialized skills are becoming more sought after across a variety of industries, especially construction, heavy industrial, manufacturing and power. Our pool of skilled craftworkers bring diverse qualifications, expertise and a commitment to safety to every jobsite. Tradesmen ensures you’re hiring a skilled labor workforce you can trust to reduce costs and increase productivity.