Blue-Collar Influencers Surge as AI Fears Push Gen Z Toward Skilled Trades

Anxiety over artificial intelligence and a shaky job market for new graduates are fueling a wave of social-media creators who champion welding, plumbing and carpentry as the smart career bets of the AI era. According to a Bloomberg feature, a new class of "blue-collar influencers" is reframing hands-on trades as attractive, lucrative and, crucially, resistant to automation—reaching young audiences who might once have chased white-collar office roles.