Americans know that the U.S. jobs market is improving. They might not realize that skilled tradesmen are needed. America has no shortage of jobs. America has a skills shortage.

ManpowerGroup, a workforce solutions company, reports that skilled trades are still the most difficult jobs in America for the fourth consecutive year. Employers who took part in Manpower’s Talent Shortage Survey found that the main reason they aren’t able to fill open jobs is a lack technical and trades skills.

The demand for skilled trade jobs continues to rise. American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave infrastructure a D+ rating. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently graded America’s infrastructure at a D+. This means that bridges and roads across the country are in dire need of repair. America needs workers who can repair them.

The scarcity of trades skills grows as less college graduates and students realize the value of working with their hands.

Rich Mathews was the Senior Vice President for Mar- keting at IRWIN Tools. “It’s time we once again present the trades as a respectable career option for the next generation.”

IRWIN Tools advocates for a National Tradesmen Day in September as a way to recognize and acknowledge the importance of skilled tradesmen. The third annual National Tradesmen Day will be held on Sept. 20, 2013. It is a celebration of those hardworking people who make our homes, schools and keep the lights on.

“Becoming a trained plumber, electrician or welder offers a clear and stable career path where working with your hands allows you to contribute meaningfully to our society,”Mathews. “We need to once again treat people who lace up boots before heading to the job site with as much respect as those who tie polished wing tips and head to a high-rise office.”

National Tradesmen Day, which is celebrated in a moment when high schools are no longer teaching shop classes and only 6 percent consider a career working in the trades as high school seniors, focuses America’s attention on skilled tradesmen and the skill gap.

IRWIN will be holding appreciation events in the U.S. on September 20 to thank skilled tradesmen. IRWIN will support the men and women who keep cities running, including those who created the new New York City skyline, One World Trade Center, at job sites in Charlotte, N.C. and Chicago.

For more information, please visit www.nationaltradesmenday.com.