Blue-Collar Boom: Why Skilled Trades Are One of the Inland Empire's Most Stable Career Paths

When it comes to career choices, local business owner Kyle Huddy has built an extensive resume, from playing professional baseball to working in hospitality, and now launching his own company, Bespoke Garage Designs. "Being your own boss, it's great. It's extremely rewarding. It's also extremely stressful, and there's no time off."

More people are becoming their own bosses, with many turning to blue-collar businesses. Ellen Reese, director of labor studies at UC Riverside, says there's a growing demand for skilled trade workers, a field she believes artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace anytime soon. "Where you see the population growing, you have more need for homes, you have repairs needed in those homes, you've got more schools that are needed — all sorts of construction jobs in the community."

Reese also notes that union workers in the trades tend to earn more than non-union counterparts, with greater access to employment benefits and a stronger voice on the job.

National data backs that up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in construction occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all jobs over the next decade.

As for Huddy, he's all in. "Having a business where you're seeing a constant flow of clientele and interest and people delighted in what you're doing — it's rewarding, but it also helps with the stressful parts of the job."