GREENSBORO, N.C. — Amid the collapse of the service economy during the pandemic, appliance repair technicians are seeing an explosive demand for their services.

Families are spending more time at home and putting more wear and tear on their appliances. That includes washing machines, stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

Inventory for new appliances is at an all time low, creating another issue. 

“A circuit board costs as much as a microwave, so instead of replacing the circuit board, nine times out of ten the client would much rather change out the microwave. A lot of times right now they’re not having the option or they’re having to buy something at very low grade, and then have us come back once their actual appliance is readily available and reinstall it," Handyman and Owner of Top Knotch Services, Michael Tasman says.

Tasman also says that people are waiting eight to ten weeks for appliances they've purchased.

Although it's an issue for the average consumer, it's a good thing for Tasman. He says he is completely booked.

He and his team are working six to seven days a week trying to get everything done.

“One of the nice things is we’ve been able to keep our crews really busy, keeping people working. We’ve been actively trying to hire more people. As people have been losing jobs, we’ve been trying to give people jobs and training to go along with it," Tasman adds.

It's a bright spot in an otherwise devastating labor market.

According to the statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, before the pandemic, home appliance repair was projected to decline by 6.9% from 2019 to 2029, from 38,400 to 35,800 workers.