2025-06-18T09:45:01z
- Lowe CEO Marvin Ellison says corporate work is more risky for AI than frontline jobs.
- Home Improvement executives said there was an unmet need for skilled trading and work for clients.
- “AI is not going to drill holes in your roof,” he said at the DC Business Roundtable Forum.
Artificial intelligence can perform more and more tasks, but there are many things that can't be done.
“AI is not going to secure holes in the roof,” said Lowe CEO Marvin Ellison. “We will not respond to electrical problems in your home. We will not prevent the water heater from leaking.”
Speaking at the CEO Workforce Forum at the Business Roundtable in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Ellison highlighted the significant unmet demand for skilled US trade workers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that around 5 million jobs were available for construction in April, with 381,000 people in manufacturing.
Ellison said frontline jobs, whether they're on a construction site or at 1,748 home improvement stores, are probably part of the last work to be destroyed by AI.
“When young people come to me and they want to work in a corporate office, my advice to them remains as close to the cash register as you can,” he said. “There's always growing employment opportunities so stay close to our clients.”
Ellison's comments came within hours of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy posting a note saying the Tech giant is likely to “reduce” the white-collar workforce in the coming years for AI.
He is the latest in a management chorus that predicts significant workplace disruption from AI in areas such as customer service, technical capabilities, and entry-level office work.
This change has led to several or more young workers shifting towards blue-collar jobs, instead of the traditional debt-based fourth-year bachelor's degree approach.
Ellison highlighted one such opportunity for young workers in Lowes. Lowe's Employee Program offers tuition-free education to complete a two- or four-year curriculum. He said employees who complete the program will sometimes continue to work for Lowe's clients.
“It could be a general contractor, it could be a builder, and we're totally ok with that,” Ellison said. “It meets a much larger need.”
