• 9th Annual Report • Published May 2026 • 42 pages
SUPPLY, DEMAND & OPPORTUNITY.
The only sector-by-sector supply and demand analysis of America’s technician workforce, drawn from federal IPEDS and BLS data. Now covering ten priority sectors from automotive and HVAC to aviation, medical equipment, and industrial machinery.
Job Openings
Graduates
(Supply Gap)
Output Lost
by 2029
The headline has changed.
For eight years, this report told the industry there was a shortage. The 2026 edition tells the country that the moment to act is now - and that the people willing to fill these jobs are already showing up.
Gen Z is showing up
School graduations grew 7.6% in a year, up across eight of ten sectors. 100,000+ active users on TechForce's platform, with 2,000 to 5,000 new every month. The stigma is breaking. The interest is real.
The system is not ready for them
241,842 annual openings against 101,743 graduates. Even with strong pipeline growth, supply meets barely 42% of demand. The result: $7.42 billion in wage-based economic output lost every year to unfilled positions.
The policy window is open
Executive Order 14278. WIOA state plan modifications across all 50 states. Federal investment in skilled careers at a level not seen in a generation. This is the data that makes those investments critical.
Where the gap lives.
For the first time, the report covers ten sectors. Some, like aviation, fill most of their demand. Others, like medical equipment and industrial machinery, fill less than one in five positions.
Forty-two pages. Ten sectors.Nine years of trend data.
How to cite this report.
Nine years of longitudinal data. Federally sourced. Cite confidently.
Media inquiries: info@techforce.org
METHODOLOGY
Supply: IPEDS C2024_A (AY 2023–24), administered by NCES, U.S. Department of Education. First majors only, all undergraduate award levels, across 10 CIP-coded technician programs.
Demand: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024–2034 annual openings (employment growth + replacement). 5-year averages 2025–2029 across 10 SOC codes.
Economic impact: BLS OEWS May 2024 median annual wage per SOC × annual gap per sector, summed across 10 sectors. Wage-based only — excludes multiplier effects on parts, healthcare delivery, food supply, aviation safety. Full methodology in the report appendix.