Mike Rowe Sounds Alarm: AI Threatens Coders More Than Welders in Workforce Transformation
CEO of mikeroweWorks Foundation Mike Rowe joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss people shifting from white collar to blue collar employment and the launching of an initiative in Texas to promote skilled trades.
As artificial intelligence transforms white-collar workplaces, Mike Rowe warns of a significant shift toward blue-collar jobs that could redefine American perceptions of work, compensation, and job security.
On a recent episode of FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.“, Rowe stated, “AI is coming for the coders. It’s not yet coming for the welders, and that basic understanding has taken root.”
Rowe, known for hosting “Dirty Jobs,” highlighted that employers across various sectors are struggling to fill skilled trade positions. This labor gap has been exacerbated by decades of prioritizing four-year college degrees over vocational training.
SKILLED WORKERS ARE IN DEMAND, THESE TRADE JOBS PAY THE MOST
Mike Rowe, chief executive officer of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, at Ford Pro Accelerate in Detroit, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Rowe emphasized the urgent need for skilled workers, stating, “The automotive industry needs over 100,000 skilled workers immediately… Larry Fink at BlackRock talks about four to 500,000 electricians needed in his portfolio of companies alone.”
He further noted, “The data center push, shipbuilding, the U.S. maritime industrial base is looking for 400,000 skilled workers alone. It goes way beyond just the construction industry.”
MIKE ROWE REVEALS WHICH ESSENTIAL JOBS AI CAN’T TOUCH – AND WHY AMERICANS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION
A job seeker attends a Veteran Employment and Resource Fair in Long Beach, Calif. on Jan. 9, 2024. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Rowe’s insights align with a recent “Wall Street Journal” report, which revealed that many white-collar professionals feel “stuck,” facing layoffs, stagnant wages, and repeated rejections, while the demand for skilled trade labor continues to rise.
This report also pointed to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence as a key factor driving this shift.
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mikeroweWorks Foundation CEO Mike Rowe joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping America’s workforce and why classic trade jobs offer the most security.
Rowe concluded, “Certainly nobody has a crystal ball, but it seems pretty clear, and I haven’t talked to anybody that disagrees with the idea that the category of jobs or the cohort of workers least likely to be disrupted by AI is going to be welders and electricians and steam fitters and pipe fitters, and energy workers and so forth.”
CEO of mikeroweWorks Foundation Mike Rowe joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss people shifting from white collar to blue collar employment and the launching of an initiative in Texas to promote skilled trades.
As artificial intelligence transforms white-collar workplaces, Mike Rowe warns of a significant shift toward blue-collar jobs that could redefine American perceptions of work, compensation, and job security.
On a recent episode of FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.“, Rowe stated, “AI is coming for the coders. It’s not yet coming for the welders, and that basic understanding has taken root.”
Rowe, known for hosting “Dirty Jobs,” highlighted that employers across various sectors are struggling to fill skilled trade positions. This labor gap has been exacerbated by decades of prioritizing four-year college degrees over vocational training.
SKILLED WORKERS ARE IN DEMAND, THESE TRADE JOBS PAY THE MOST
Mike Rowe, chief executive officer of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, at Ford Pro Accelerate in Detroit, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Rowe emphasized the urgent need for skilled workers, stating, “The automotive industry needs over 100,000 skilled workers immediately… Larry Fink at BlackRock talks about four to 500,000 electricians needed in his portfolio of companies alone.”
He further noted, “The data center push, shipbuilding, the U.S. maritime industrial base is looking for 400,000 skilled workers alone. It goes way beyond just the construction industry.”
MIKE ROWE REVEALS WHICH ESSENTIAL JOBS AI CAN’T TOUCH – AND WHY AMERICANS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION
A job seeker attends a Veteran Employment and Resource Fair in Long Beach, Calif. on Jan. 9, 2024. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Rowe’s insights align with a recent “Wall Street Journal” report, which revealed that many white-collar professionals feel “stuck,” facing layoffs, stagnant wages, and repeated rejections, while the demand for skilled trade labor continues to rise.
This report also pointed to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence as a key factor driving this shift.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
mikeroweWorks Foundation CEO Mike Rowe joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping America’s workforce and why classic trade jobs offer the most security.
Rowe concluded, “Certainly nobody has a crystal ball, but it seems pretty clear, and I haven’t talked to anybody that disagrees with the idea that the category of jobs or the cohort of workers least likely to be disrupted by AI is going to be welders and electricians and steam fitters and pipe fitters, and energy workers and so forth.”
