This group of indiviuals wereconcidered the Teritary or third level of individuals if we were torate them. The stereotype has a double edge sword, having both thenegative context of unskilled or lazy individuals. The other end ofthe spectrum is hard working ethics and pride of skilledlabored.
The growth of blue collar jobs is presented in a map on the site of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, based on BLS data. According to some reports, it’s currently challenging for employers to find workers for blue collar jobs. In the early 1900s, the term “blue collar” gained widespread usage in labor unions and political discourse. It was often used to distinguish between workers who performed physical labor and those who held salaried, office-based jobs. It derives from the color of the overalls and work shirts commonly worn by manual laborers during that period. Today, safety concerns have influenced the dress code of many traditionally blue-collar jobs.
Blue collar is a classification of working people by the types of jobs they perform. It typically refers to those in hands-on jobs that involve manual labor. Some of the industries that rely on blue-collar workers are manufacturing, mining, construction, and automaking.
Types of jobs and industries typically associated with blue collar work
Whether in the warehouse or factory, on an oil rig or in a coal mine, workers are likely wearing high-visibility fluorescent and sometimes reflective shirts and jackets. The blue work shirt has become something of a rarity on the job, more often being part of a uniform for sometimes public-facing workers like delivery drivers and mechanics. Blue collar workers were often working outside or on job sites, doing manual or technical labor, and were paid hourly or by the piece.
What Do White Collar and Blue Collar Mean?
White collar workers were usually in offices, in administrative or management roles, and were paid a salary. Other examples of blue-collar jobs include train conductors, who ensure the safe transportation of passengers and cargo, and aircraft mechanics, who inspect and repair aircraft engines. These roles might not always require a college degree, but they do demand specialized skills or expertise, making them indispensable in their respective fields. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provided the numbers of workers in every profession, including blue collar jobs.
The blue color of these garments became synonymous with the working class. Most white-collar jobs require at least an undergraduate college degree. Higher positions often require higher educational credentials, licenses, and special certifications. White collar is the most common term that is contrasted with blue collar, especially when it comes to employment. Some of the main differences between blue-collar and white-collar include the environment in which each works, their educational background, their roles, and how they’re paid. Classifying workers by the color of their shirts dates back to the early 1920s.
- Automation and plant shutdowns whittled down great armies of industrial workers to skeleton crews.
- The term refers to the blue uniforms or other work clothing that is usually worn for blue-collar jobs.
- Classifying workers by the color of their shirts dates back to the early 1920s.
- For example, in 2018, construction laborers numbered around 1,405,000 while workers in maintenance and repair totalled 1,488,000.
Where did the term white-collar worker come from?
Coal miners, masons, bricklayers, boilermakers, and welders all wore darker colors that didn’t readily show dirt. They may wear overalls, chambray shirts, or jeans, all in the color blue. The term blue collar is used to describe workers who perform manual labor, work at factory jobs, or do any other type of labor that does not involve working in an office.
Educational requirements
If you’re curious about where to start or how software can help improve your communication efforts to your entire blue-collar workforce, try Team Engine risk-free. First come, first served First come, first served is a phrase popularized during the nineteenth century, though it may have been in use before that time. First come, first served describes a situation whereby customers are served in the order in which they arrive, those who arrive first are served first. The term first come, first served was popularized by shopkeepers during the nineteenth century. Find the best software for lawn care business management, from scheduling and invoicing to workforce and payroll tools. There has been a large push from organizations such as Women in Trucking who are working to address the obstacles that normally keep women from entering or succeeding in blue-collar work.
If you liked our blue collar worker definition, check out the rest of our HR terms. Now, some people might say the term “blue-collar” is considered offensive. The term simply refers to a type of job and is not meant to be derogatory. But, like anything these days, if you say it with negative intent or obvious slander, then yes, it would be considered offensive. Perhaps somewhere right now there is a college student wearing a parent’s fluorescent vest to a campus rally and majoring in computer science in hopes that they will someday be able to wear T-shirts in their office. By the 1890s, the number of clerical positions in industrialized societies had exploded.
Beginning in the 1970s, Europe and the U.S. entered a period economists named deindustrialization. Automation and plant shutdowns whittled down great armies of industrial workers to skeleton crews. Workers in the remaining steel mills where did the term blue collar come from were more likely to use computers in control rooms than scarfing torches or shovels.
These are usually more professional in nature and often (but not always) require a higher level of education at a university or certain specialized skills that you get from doing an apprenticeship or something. These are usually jobs that generally require you to do physical labor like working with your hands, physical exertion, or using specialized equipment. Blue-collar jobs typically require you to have at least a high school diploma and can be acquired through years of experience or by taking a trade course at a college. But blue-collar jobs usually include manual or trade-related labor, and workers often wear dark clothing or blue jeans. Prior to industrialization, monarchs and the nobility distinguished themselves with elaborate starched, ruffled collars.
Since many blue-collar jobs consist of mainly manual labor, educational requirements for workers are typically lower than those of white-collar workers. Often, not even a high school diploma is required, and many of the skills required for blue-collar jobs are learned by the employee while working. Some of these students, staff, and faculty refer to themselves as blue-collar scholars. Blue collar and white collar jobs have historically been differentiated based on the nature of the work, the work environment, and the educational prerequisites. Blue collar workers generally perform manual labor and are either paid by the hour or on a piecework basis. Navy and light blue colors conceal potential dirt or grease on the worker’s clothing, helping them to appear cleaner.
However, it’s essential to note that both blue collar and white collar roles are crucial for the functioning of the economy and society1. Also, based on a 2018 Washington Post article, about 13.9 percent of workers are in blue collar professions. It’s a home office, but technically, it would be considered a white-collar position. The terms are becoming outdated for a lot of reasons, first among them being their false class connotations. And there’s the fact that a lot of jobs don’t require shirts with collars at all anymore. Blue collar is just one of the classifications of people in the workforce.
What Is a Blue-Collar Job?
Blue-collar professions can be found in various industries, and while they might be physically demanding, they offer a high level of job satisfaction for those who enjoy hands-on work or mastering a particular trade. “Blue collar” is one classification of employees based on the type of labor they perform. The blue collar worker definition indicates that these workers perform primarily manual labor. Other similar classifications include white collar, pink collar, black collar and more.
Some blue-collar jobs also pay by the project or follow a salary scheme. In short, in the 21st century, the color of your collar doesn’t necessarily dictate the level of your income. They may not require a four-year college degree, but many blue-collar jobs require highly skilled personnel with specialized training and a license or certificate from an apprenticeship program or trade school.