“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe warned Wednesday that “every single American” is going to feel the 4.5 million people who stepped away from a job in November.
During an appearance on Fox Business’ “Varney & Co.,” Rowe and host Stuart Varney discussed data from the Labor Department that found millions either quit or changed jobs in November, affecting the restaurant industry and energy sector, among others.
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“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rowe explained. “Just this month, I’ve heard from the energy industry, the flooring industry … the restaurant industry, the cable and broadband industry, they are all struggling with the same basic problem.” (RELATED: Mike Rowe Sends Blistering Message To Colleges Refusing To Fly American Flag)
“This is a conversation about our workforce and the imbalanced nature of it and the way that that’s going to impact every single American who shares my addiction to smooth roads, indoor plumbing, affordable electricity and so forth,” he added. (RELATED: Mike Rowe Says ’40 Million People In This Country’ Have Been Labeled ‘Non-Essential’ And That’s ‘Fundamentally Upside-Down’)
Varney pressed Rowe to explain what he meant by a “new definition” of a good job. Rowe argued that getting Americans to see a highly-skilled trade to be a good job, might help mitigate employment losses in certain industries that aren’t as glamorous as others — now in 2022 and for future generations.
“That, interestingly, is one of the few things that we can control,” the “How America Works” host shared. “It can’t be higher education, and everything else is some vocational consolation prize.”
“We need to set the table fairly,” he added. “We need to explain to kids that working with your hands, learning a skill that’s in demand can still lead to prosperity. We need to do a better job globally of shining a light on those [skilled labor] stories.”