Do you believe landscaping is becoming a more desirable career path?
What services/strategies did you use to close labour gaps?
Four trends to watch for 2025 (according to you)
CLIENT EDUCATION "The most interesting trend is I find myself spending more time with clients and educating them about old world craftsmanship using new world construction. They have all been blinded by the 20 television shows that are mostly poor quality. Good from far but far from good. The quality shows are more technical and the general public doesn't watch that." WATER-WISE PLANT CHOICES "Xeriscaping is on the rise in the residential market." "Clients want larger plants and drought tolerant landscapes." "More plant diversity, developing more gardens to help pollinators. Gardens that have low water needs." "The trend away from lawns and more towards different types of ground covers other than grass." CHANGE IN SCALE, UP AND DOWN "Have noticed a higher demand for lower budget/ quality work this year. Clients looking for quick & cheapest work. Many are planning to move and not wanting to spend or willing to cut corners to flip a property." "Still lots of projects out there, just on a smaller scale." "Projects are getting larger and more complex. Customers want a 'turn key' project from design to installation. I will collaborate more with contractors to offer this seamless transition." AI TECHNOLOGY "Autonomous mowers will be a game changer. Using AI for CRM and lead generation will also ramp up quickly in the near future."
Yes 46.8%
OTHER 12.5%
LANDSCAPE . JOBS 12.1 %
STAFFING AGENCIES 12.4 %
JOB FAIRS 7.6 %
Another strategy to address labour gaps would be to make a career in the green trades more attractive. Respondents had a lot to say about this. Some feel there has been a renewed interest in working outdoors in nature, while others expressed strong opinions around work ethic, public perception and shady business practices.
Parents do not encourage their children to attend these programs because they are not high wage earning professions. The job is physically demanding and many people do not want to do this type of work. Many existing employees in the industry are aging out and not being replaced. There is a perception that landscaping is not year round and landscape work is labour intensive. Landscaping is highly competitive, and in our area there are a number of contractors that are undervaluing employees and significantly underbidding work.
Young people are more attracted to tech/online industries, probably.
Flooded by low wage companies that work under the table … this leaves a sour taste in the general public and craftsmen stay away from very lucrative positions. Technology is helping the industry, and not in danger of AI replacing jobs. Younger people are looking for a trade and this offers something different every day.
In 2024, 53 per cent of respondents said they experienced a labour shortage, between “Somewhat” (47.9%) and “A lot” (5.1%). With so many vacant roles, employers had to get creative to ensure they had enough crew members to meet demand. For some, this meant being more selective and passing on smaller jobs to focus on higher quality projects. For others, it meant promoting employees to more responsible crew lead roles before they were ready. Ease of recruitment also seemed to depend on a business’s reputation within its local community. In addition to word of mouth, posting jobs on premises and offering flexible hours, most landscaping companies turned to general job boards to recruit staff.
More people see the value in working outdoors/in trades.
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34 | LANDSCAPE TRADES
DECEMBER 2024 - JANUARY 2025 | 35
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