Inside America's Skilled Labor Shortage

Summary

Linda Hubbard, CEO of Carhartt, spoke with Matt Miller in Detroit about the shortage of skilled trades workers and Carhartt's partnership with Ford to address it through training, funding, equipment, and a new Detroit Tool Bank. She also discussed Carhartt's business momentum, its workwear authenticity, and a forthcoming Carhartt-branded Ford F-250 work truck. The interview is mainly corporate and philanthropic, with little direct publicly investable thesis.

• Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard discussed a shortage of skilled trades workers, with one million unfilled jobs now and two million projected by 2030.
• Carhartt and Ford partnered on workforce development, training, funding, transportation, and gear for trade students.
• Ford and Carhartt are supporting Tool Bank USA's expansion into Detroit to provide professional tools and training.
• Carhartt said its business is doing very well, driven by workwear roots and broader fashion relevance.
• Carhartt and Ford are collaborating on a Carhartt-branded F-250 work truck expected to be revealed in spring.
• The conversation is mostly corporate and philanthropic, without a direct public-market investment call.