Gen Z more interested in trade careers; dress codes change post-pandemic

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Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers
Some Generation Z adults are becoming more interested in trade careers as economic pressures mount and concerns about artificial-intelligence tools persist.
That's according to a recent survey from Resume Builder, which found 42% of Gen Zers are working in or pursuing a skilled-trade job, including 37% of those with a bachelor's degree. The report surveyed 1,434 adults ages 18 to 28.
Regardless of education level, Gen Z men surveyed were significantly more likely than women to choose trade careers, with 48% of men saying they worked in or planned to enter the trades, compared to 30% of women. Top factors cited for choosing work outside of white-collar professions included avoiding student-loan debt and reducing the potential risk of being replaced by AI tools.
The shift, according to the report, is especially prevalent among Gen Z men with degrees, as 46% of them are working in or pursuing trades compared to 27% of women with degrees.
Key quote: "More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason. Many are concerned about AI replacing traditional white-collar roles, while trade jobs offer hands-on work that's difficult to automate. Additionally, many grads find their degrees don't lead to careers in their field, prompting them to explore more practical, in-demand alternatives." — Resume Builder's Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller
FULL STORY: Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers
Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change.
Companies have pulled back on advertising casual dress codes in 2025, but that doesn't mean the days of relaxed in-office attire workers have enjoyed post-pandemic are coming to an end.
The Playbook's senior reporter Andy Medici writes that an analysis of job postings by job-matching platform Adzuna that was shared exclusively with The Playbook found the percentage of listings in April that mentioned a casual dress code came in at 61.1%, the lowest April figure since the onset of the pandemic.
In April 2019, casual dress code mentions were part of 58.5% of job listings. Per Medici, that number rose to 63% in April 2020 and reached a peak of 80.6% in April 2022 before coming back down.
Medici notes that references to business-casual dress codes, which stood at 40.2% of job postings in April 2019, fell all the way to 18.6% of job postings in April 2022 before rising back up to 37.2% this year, according to Adzuna.
Key quote: "During the pandemic, it was common for employers to advertise casual dress and remote work to attract candidates. But now that casual dress has become the standard, companies no longer feel it's necessary to drive recruitment. So even though fewer job listings directly advertise their casual dress code, it's still very much the standard in most workplaces." — Sam Debase, a career expert at ZipRecruiter
FULL STORY: Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change.
Office returns are hitting their new normal
As more corporate titans have pushed for employees returning to the office in 2025, the rate of in-person work is inching toward pre-pandemic levels in some major metros.
The Business Journals' Joanne Drilling writes that April 2025 was the third-busiest in-office month since the pandemic — outpaced only by October and July 2024 — with office visits down 30.7% nationally compared to April 2019.
The data comes from the most recent Placer.ai Nationwide Office Building Index, which leverages cellphone location data to analyze foot traffic and visits from about 1,000 office buildings across the country.
Despite the robust traffic numbers recorded in April, a full return to pre-pandemic visitation levels hasn't yet materialized in most cities, Drilling notes.
Key quote: "Consumers are just not spending 40 hours a week in the office. They're still embracing this hybrid model, but with a lot of companies heading into the office, we have some improvement in the percentage of visits compared to pre-pandemic levels." — R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai
FULL STORY: Office returns are hitting their new normal
The blitz: Workers feel stigma around disability accommodations has worsened … The pay raise picture is shifting. Here's where wages are rising the most. … SBA launches portal to boost Made in America Manufacturing Initiative … SBA overhauls another loan program amid rising defaults

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