blue-collar

American  

[bloo-kol-er] / ˈbluˈkɒl ər /

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.

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noun

1. a blue-collar worker.

blue-collar British  

adjective

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

   a blue-collar union

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blue-collar Cultural  

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

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Discover More

The term is often associated with conservative values.

Etymology

Origin of blue-collar

First recorded in 1945–50

Compare meaning

How does blue-collar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• blue-collar vs. white-collar

Explanation

A blue-collar job involves doing physical labor, working with your hands and body to do paid work. Examples of blue-collar workers include mechanics, construction workers, and electricians. Blue-collar jobs involve manual labor and skilled trades. Factory workers, custodians, plumbers, and landscapers are considered blue-collar workers. Blue-collar jobs are often contrasted with white-collar jobs, which are typically done in offices, sitting at desks. The term blue-collar first appeared in the 1920s, referencing the durable, blue work-shirts and denims that many laborers traditionally wore. Blue-collar workers are essential to building and keeping infrastructure and industries running smoothly.

Example Sentences

And the new blue-collar work is rarely a ready option for unemployed former office workers, according to employment-services professionals.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

"We are short of blue-collar workers," as well as doctors, teachers and agricultural administrators, she said -- roles that are either low-paid or "not prestigious".

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

But the push to reshape forest management is fiercely opposed by loggers and mill owners, who say their work is sustainable and provides blue-collar jobs in a region where they’ve dwindled.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Maryland is not the only state taking this approach: Michigan is making a similar environmental argument in a lawsuit over an ICE warehouse planned for the small blue-collar city of Romulus.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

Highly educated workers benefited from the pace of technological change and the increased use of computer-based technologies, but blue-collar workers often found themselves displaced in the sudden transition from an industrial to a service economy.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• apprentice
• blue-collar worker