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Home Depot packed a holiday sweater with tools. Milwaukee’s putting $200M+ behind the trades, and Gen Z’s interested in trade careers—but taking the next step is another story.
Plus, a look back at the first-ever Trades Thursday, tool deals, and a lunch warmer built for the jobsite.
P.S. Are you charging enough for every job? Download your free price book template.
Table of contents
Industry news
1. Home Depot stuffed $150+ of gear into a $30 holiday sweater >
Ready or not, here come the holidays. Inside this orange toolbelt-inspired ugly holiday sweater: Husky tools, a headlamp, DEWALT level, light clips, a mechanical pencil, and a peppermint-scented $50 gift card. The first drop already sold out. Miss it? Round two lands Oct. 15.
>>Check out what’s in the sweater
2. Milwaukee’s putting $200M+ behind the trades >
Milwaukee Tool just joined the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, alongside Ford, Carhartt, Google, and other big names working to close the labor gap. Milwaukee says its U.S. workforce-development investment will top $200M from 2010 through 2030, and it already supports 16,000+ apprentices every year. That pipeline matters: new Alliance research says training programs are producing just 55 skilled workers for every 100 needed.
>>See how Milwaukee’s backing the trades
3. Gen Z wants the trades. So what’s stopping them?
A new Wolverine survey found 71% of Gen Zers not already in the trades would try a skilled trades job, and 65% think it’s a faster path to six figures than college. But there’s still a gap between interest and taking the next step. When asked to choose their next move, 21% picked an apprenticeship, compared with 32% who chose a four-year college.
>>See what’s holding Gen Z back
Champion the Trades
Stories, shop talk, and field-tested tips, backing millions of Pros who keep the world running.
Thousands of Pros showed up for the first-ever Trades Thursday >
On Oct. 1, Pros across the country put down the tools (at least for a few hours) and got together for the first-ever Trades Thursday.
4,000+ sign-ups. 98 cities. 46 states. From Seattle and Chicago to Foley, Alabama, Pros packed local meetups to trade advice, swap stories, and connect.
See what went down at Trades Thursday >
Were you there? Send us your best photo, takeaway, or story from the day.
Pro Perks
- Home Depot > Get $220 off a Milwaukee M12 Submersible Stick Water Transfer Pump.
- Lowes > Save $100 on a DEWALT 15-Amp Portable Jobsite Table Saw.
- Acme Tools > Score a free Bosch 18V Starter Kit with a select Bosch tool purchase.
Are you charging enough for every job? Build a price book that keeps your services, costs, and rates straight—and your quotes consistent.
Recs
3 picks worth the click
- Lunch Milwaukee style > This PACKOUT-compatible warmer heats up lunch while you work. Because yesterday’s chili deserves better than the truck dashboard.
- The bucket that works the night shift > Lowe’s 2-gallon bucket charges in daylight, then glows in the dark. Easy to spot in a dark crawlspace. Ready for candy duty after clock-out.
- The GOAT of HVACR? You decide > ACHR NEWS is putting 16 game-changing HVACR innovations head-to-head. Vote and help crown the greatest innovation of all time.
What’s the creepiest job you’ve ever walked into? >
The crawl space. The 3 a.m. call. That noise in the basement you definitely weren’t paid enough to investigate.
Tell us your scariest job-site story. The best ones get featured in an upcoming TradeWire.
Share your story >
Worth the drive
- PHCC Connect · October 19–22, 2026 · Milwaukee, WI
- Greenbuild International Conference · October 20–23, 2026 · New York, NY
- Bring Back The Trades Expo · October 29, 2026 · Marlborough, MA
- Service World Expo · November 9–11, 2026 · Las Vegas, NV
Job size snapshot
How are tickets trending in the trades? Watch this spot for how average job sizes compare to last year—what’s up, what’s down, and where the money’s moving.
- Carpet cleaning: 6%
- Electrical: 4%
- Garage: 3%
- General contractor: 3%
- Handyman: 4%
- Home cleaning: 6%
- HVAC: 3%
- Landscaping & lawn: 9%
- Plumbing: 4%
- Other: 7%
This chart tracks average revenue per job across key trades using data from Housecall Pro businesses. We compare the past 28 days to the same period last year to spot trends in job size. Data includes all payment types (credit card, ACH, loans, cash, etc.), excluding service agreements.
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