America’s Plumber Deficit Isn’t Good for the Economy
Young people are shunning an occupation that’s physically demanding and sometimes dirty, though well-paid. The consequences could be far-reaching.
Student Jean Bosco Nshimiyimana in a plumbing class at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland, on Feb. 16.
Photographer: Gabriella Demczuk for Bloomberg Businessweek
The hallways of the Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 5 Apprenticeship School in Lanham, Maryland, are adorned with replicas of patents marking milestones in plumbing history. There’s the pipe wrench, patented in 1888, and the pipe cutter, patented in 1945. Also on display is a reproduction of a vintage poster with an illustration that shows a plumber in overalls, wrench in hand, towering high above an admiring crowd. The tagline reads, “The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation.”
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