blue-collar

[bloo-kol-er]

adjective

1. of or relating to wage-earning workers who wear work clothes or other specialized clothing on the job, as mechanics, longshoremen, and miners.

noun

1. a blue-collar worker.

blue-collar

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating manual industrial workers Compare white-collar pink-collar

   a blue-collar union

blue-collar

1. A descriptive term widely used for manual laborers, as opposed to white-collar for office workers.

The term is often associated with conservative values.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue-collar¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

It is looking for electrical and mechanical engineers, software developers and project managers, as well as skilled blue-collar workers such as machine and plant operators, welding technicians and aircraft mechanics.

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The Texas sisters’ divergent career paths reflect the shifting dynamics: White-collar jobs that once seemed solid are no longer so, and some skilled blue-collar work is looking like a safer bet.

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But even amid something of a renaissance, blue-collar workers are just 27% of the U.S. workforce, according to the Pew Research Center.

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As baby boomers in blue-collar professions retire, labor shortages are growing in industries like construction, trucking and manufacturing.

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Employers are demanding front-line and blue-collar workers, while many college graduates have softer, white-collar skills.

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Related Words

• apprentice 
• blue-collar worker www.thesaurus.com