Blue-Collar

Blue-collar is a workplace designation that defines an employee who performs manual or technical labour, such as in a factory or trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. Examples of blue-collar work include carpentry, construction, automotive repair, maintenance, mining and agriculture. The blue-collar designation defines a working-class population and socio-economic group with generally less education and earning potential than white-collar workers. A blue-collar worker is more likely to be a part of a labour union than a white-collar worker. The term “blue-collar” finds its origins from the dress codes of workplaces. Blue-collar workers often wear work shirts of a navy blue colour while white-collar workers tend to wear white dress shirts.

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