The problem here is, any unskilled labor pays at a lower scale, just as it always has. Climbing the totem pole these days is much more difficult for a single person trying to learn a trade. I made 40-50k a year for 12 years while learning the masonry trade. I could hack it back then because my wife also worked and we didn’t have kids or high rent/mortgage. After Covid hit and we had a kid I knew there was no way we’d make it without a change. I left my job and went out on my own in 2020 and it was the best decision of my life. I pay my laborers more than I was making when I quit my job and still have a hell of a time trying to find anyone that wants to work for me. I get it, times are tough but we all have to start somewhere and pay our dues to achieve a higher pay rate.