The narrative in stories like this is something like "this generation hates manual labor, they want soft office jobs, therefore construction companies can't fil

The narrative in stories like this is something like "this generation hates manual labor, they want soft office jobs, therefore construction companies can't fill all their positions." I'm suspicious of this narrative--how much are these jobs paying? If the market is so competitive, can't they raise the salary? The implication is that this new young generation is too... let's say too online to work construction, but that seems pat and shallow. Is it really a failure of character or morals, or is the unspoken second part of this "we can't find people to fill this position ~at this pay rate~"?