Analysis•Workforce, Training & CareersThe Trades Just Hit a 26-Year Labor Squeeze. Data Centers Are Making the Hiring Fight Harder.Construction unemployment fell to 3.1% in August, the lowest rate in the 26-year history of the series, while wages and demand for skilled craft workers keep climbing. For HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors, winning the next hire now requires more than posting a job and raising the hourly rate.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk•Sep 9, 2026•11 min