OKLAHOMA CITY - Following the inaugural survey of America’s blue-collar workers in 2018, Express Employment Professionals has partnered once again with The Harris Poll to learn more about how today’s white-collar workers compare with blue-collar employees and those who fall in the middle-gray-collar professions.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Following the inaugural survey of America’s blue-collar workers in 2018, Express Employment Professionals has partnered once again with The Harris Poll to learn more about how today’s white-collar workers compare with blue-collar employees and those who fall in the middle-gray-collar professions.
Despite a similar outlook of the future, regardless of collar color, the survey revealed American workers have substantial student loan debt, are not saving enough for retirement, but feel their jobs provide a good living for the present.
GRAY-COLLAR WORK?
Gray-collar work combines some of the manual labor aspects of blue-collar work but also has components of white-collar work. For the purposes of this study, Harris defines gray-collar workers as working in jobs such as airline pilot or flight attendant, farmer or land manager, certified or licensed salesperson, clergy, childcare worker, engineer, firefighter, paralegal, military, teacher or non-physician healthcare professional.
Gray-collar industries emerged as the forgotten workforce when comparing demographics and sentiments between the traditional stereotypical white- and blue-collar jobs.
But with 40% of gray-collar workers expecting substantial job growth in their fields over the coming years, they are an important segment to survey in order to accurately capture American employment data.
COLLEGE: WAS IT WORTH IT?
For workers with a high school diploma or less, more than half look back and wish they had a four-year degree or attended a community college or vocational school.
Seventy-nine percent of gray-collar workers and 72% of blue-collar workers believe they would have had more opportunities if they had attended- ed college.
For those with a college degree, more than 1 in 3 gray-collar workers, 35%, and almost 1 in 4 white-collar workers, 24%, say they think the higher education they received is essential to their current job. In fact, most college graduates, 79% gray-collar and 70% white-collar, think going to college was worth every penny.
However, some college-educated workers express regret about their decision, wishing they had attended community college, vocational school or had gone straight into the workforce instead (46% blue-collar, 31% white-collar, 30% gray-collar). Nearly 1 in 3 college graduates say they have too much student loan debt (32% gray-collar, 31% white-collar) and cannot find a good job despite their college degree (33% white-collar, 28% gray-collar). Eighteen percent of white-collar workers and 16% of gray-collar workers have at least $25,000 worth of student loan debt, and those with student loans estimate it will take approximately seven to eight years to pay it off.
RETIREMENT: SAVING FOR THE FUTURE
While blue-, gray- and white-collar workers are still paying off student loans, 62% of blue-collar, 45% of gray- and 40% of white-collar workers also say they have less than $5,000 saved in case of an emergency.
White-collar workers are the most likely segment to have a larger fund of $25,000 or more saved for emergencies, 33%, with only 24% of gray-collar and 11% of blue-collar workers reporting the same amount.
Most workers are worried about saving enough for retirement (73% blue-collar, 62% white-collar, 59% gray-collar) and only about half of workers are currently setting aside money for the later years (58% white-collar, 53% gray-collar). Blue-collar workers are the group least likely to save for the future at only 42%.
CONTENT IN THE PRESENT
But for now, job satisfaction is high among most workers. Eighty-eight percent of gray-collar workers and 86% of both blue- and white-collar workers say they are at least somewhat satisfied with their job and an average of 89% of all workers are proud of the work.
They believe their job provides them a good living financially to support their family (81% white-collar, 80% blue-collar, 77% gray-collar) and few are worried they might lose their position in the future (13% blue-collar, 13% white-collar, 12% gray-collar).
Most white- and gray-collar workers believe their boss cares about them personally (80% white-collar, 77% gray-collar) and that their company cares about its employees (80% white-collar, 77% gray-collar), though blue-collar workers are the least likely to agree with this sentiment at 71%. Regardless of their type of work, the top reason U.S. workers value their field is the ability to make a good living wage at 53%. Having flexible work hours is also a top reason for job satisfaction (47% white-collar, 42% gray-collar, 35% blue-collar).
Conversely, white- and gray-collar workers say the top thing they dislike about their job is having limited or no advancement opportunities (30% white-collar, 27% gray-collar). Blue-collar workers mostly dislike that their job can be dangerous at times, 39%, though they also report limited or no advancement opportunities, 28%, as reasons they dislike their field.
Financially, about half of all workers describe themselves as middle class, and most say they’ve received a pay increase in the last year (76% white-collar, 70% gray-collar, 68% blue-collar). White-collar and blue-collar workers are more likely to say they received a promotion in the past year (36% white-collar, 35% blue-collar, 29% gray-col- lar). Over half of U.S. workers anticipate they will receive a pay increase this year or next year (68% white-collar, 60% gray-collar, 55% blue-collar).
POLITICAL DIFFERENCES? NOT SO MUCH
At a time when the country is divided along many lines, views on political parties are notably similar between the groups. When asked which political party does a better job of helping Americans in their line of work, there is no consensus.
Blue-collar: 39% Republican, 36% Democratic, 24% neither
Gray-collar: 35% Republican, 38% Democratic, 25% neither
White-collar: 39% Republican, 37% Democratic, 22% neither
With 2020 approaching, the 2019 survey also polled gray- and white-collar respondents on their concerns ahead of the election. (Similar questions were not posed to blue-collar workers in the 2018 survey).
TOP CONCERNS
Respondents could select all issues that applied. The concerns that rise to the top for U.S. workers are as follows: Economy: gray- and white-collar 51%, each
Health Care: gray-collar 54%, white-collar 50% Immigration: gray- and white-collar 43%, each Affordability of daily living: gray-collar 43%,
white-collar 39%