What Mike Rowe has said about Skills gap in the United States
3 quotes · 1 episode · Jul 6, 2026
Mike Rowe, American television host, narrator, author, creator of Dirty Jobs and founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, has been quoted on Skills gap in the United States 3 times in 1 episode of The Shawn Ryan Show, most recently on July 6, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
Rowe says there are 7.5 million open jobs, most not requiring a four-year degree.
“Today, there are 7.5 million open jobs right now. Are there really? 7.5 million. Most of them don't require a four-year degree”
The Shawn Ryan Show: #319 Mike Rowe - What Happened to the American Dream? (Jul 6, 2026) · Listen from 53:47
Rowe reports the maritime industrial base told him it needs 400,000 skilled workers over eight years.
“In the next eight years, they need to hire 400,000 skilled workers. Many are welders”
The Shawn Ryan Show: #319 Mike Rowe - What Happened to the American Dream? (Jul 6, 2026) · Listen from 57:22
Rowe says that for every five tradespeople retiring, only two replace them.
“every five tradesmen, for every five who retire this year, two replace them”
The Shawn Ryan Show: #319 Mike Rowe - What Happened to the American Dream? (Jul 6, 2026) · Listen from 59:30
Episodes
#319 Mike Rowe - What Happened to the American Dream?The Shawn Ryan Show · Jul 6, 2026 · 3 h 44 min
Mike Rowe talks with Shawn Ryan about the American dream, the skilled-trades labor shortage, his mikeroweWORKS Foundation, losing his savings to fraud, and dangerous Dirty Jobs stories.
Mike Rowe on other topics
- Labor force participation rate · 2 quotes
- Vocational education · 2 quotes
- Dirty Jobs · 2 quotes
- mikeroweWORKS Foundation · 1 quote
- Illegal immigration to the United States · 1 quote
- Nuclear power · 1 quote
- Men Without Work · 1 quote
- Data centers · 1 quote