30 Million Jobs Expected to Open Nationwide as the Baby Boomers Retire, but Who Will Fill Them?

Many baby boomers in the U.S. skilled labor force are expected to retire by year's end, leaving more than 30 million jobs vacant, reports WRDW . This trend is driving up demand for "new blood," along with record numbers of people going to school to learn a trade. In South Carolina, the median income for an electrician with a high school diploma is $55,000 a year. "I graduated in the early 2000's, and they constantly pushed college prep," said Donald Kelly with IBEW Local Union 1579. "Well, a lot of people don't know that you can go and make good money and not take out student loans and be an electrician or a pipe fitter or brick mason." The average pay for an elevator repair person is $79,000 annually, which is slightly more than the yearly income an accountant with a college degree draws. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics also forecasts a 41 percent increase in home healthcare jobs.