Aircraft Mechanic | Auto Mechanic |
Boilermaker | Brick Mason |
Bus Driver | Carpenter |
Chef | Commercial Diver |
Construction Worker | Cook |
Custodian | Delivery |
Driver | Electrician |
Equipment Operator | Farming |
Firefighter | Fishing |
Food Processing | Janitor |
Laborer | Landscaper |
Logging | Logistics & Shipping |
Logistics Worker | Machinery Mechanic |
Machinist | Maintenance Worker |
Manufacturing Worker | Mechanic |
Millwright | Miner |
Painter | Plumber |
Restaurant Worker | Sanitation Worker |
Solar Technician | Technician |
Truck Driver | Utility Worker |
Warehouse Worker | Waste Management |
Welder | Wind Turbine Technician |
Why Blue?
The term blue collar is an analogy to the blue shirts supposedly worn by workers who perform physical labor. Apparently coined in a 1924 newspaper article from The Times of Alden, Iowa.Who is Blue Collar?
Blue collar is any profession that revolves around physical work products such as manufacturing, construction and infrastructure maintenance. Some definitions of blue collar focus on industrial workers and trades such that they exclude professions such as firefighter and farmer that also involve physical work. The term blue collar is also commonly applied to families and households with members who are mostly employed in blue collar jobs.
Blue Collar vs White Collar
Blue collar refers to jobs that have a physical component. This is typically contrasted with white collar jobs that take place in an office or office-like environment that involve little or no physical work.Blue Collar vs Working Class
Blue collar refers to a specific type of working conditions, namely jobs that involve physical labor. Working class is a socioeconomic group that depends on their labor to survive and earns little or no discretionary income. This doesn't allow the working class to save significant sums, accumulate capital or invest in quality of life improvements. Whether a blue collar job is working class depends entirely on salary relative to essential costs such as basic housing, food, clothing, transportation, education and healthcare. Jobs that earn considerably more than these basic costs are middle class. In the past, white collar was heavily associated with the middle class and blue collar with the working class. This has changed as a large number of low paying white collar jobs have emerged with the knowledge and service economies. It is possible for white collar jobs to be working class. Likewise, many blue collar professions are middle class.Blue Collar Skills
The know-how, talents and capabilities required for blue collar work depend greatly on the role but can include practical skills such as using tools, soft skills such as managing customer relationships, analytical skills such as developing estimates and generalist skills such as troubleshooting problems.
Blue Collar Myths
It is incorrect to say that blue collar roles are always specialist roles that don't benefit from higher level skills such as analysis, building relationships or communication. Blue collar roles can involve generalist skills such as troubleshooting, social skills such as negotiation and planning skills such as task coordination.Blue Collar Culture
Beyond work, blue collar can be viewed as a culture whereby it is associated with a set of norms, expectations, values and shared experiences.Blue Collar Politics
As a political class, blue collar workers can be referred to the proletariat. As a group, blue collar workers have distinctive interests in areas such as union rights, protection of jobs, fair wages and workplace safety. Blue collar workers also have broader common interests such as progressive taxes that place the greatest tax burdens on the wealthy as opposed to the working class.| Overview: Blue Collar | ||
Type | ||
Definition | Professions that involve physical labor, also known as manual labor. | |
Related Concepts | ||
