#working-class

[ follow ]
Agriculture
fromFortune
8 hours ago

Union workers win their beef: New labor contract sealed at one of the nation's largest meatpacking plants | Fortune

Workers at JBS USA's Swift Beef Co. plant reached an agreement after a three-week strike, securing wage increases and improved health care.
Business
fromFortune
1 day ago

Turns out the American middle class didn't die. It got richer-and felt poorer | Fortune

Affluent Americans in 2026 experience a sense of unease despite material wealth, reflecting a structural shift in the economy and perceptions of prosperity.
Remote teams
fromIndependent
1 day ago

Dear Vicki: Why have 'staff' and 'employees' suddenly become 'colleagues', but without extra pay?

HR departments are enforcing a bland culture by replacing traditional terms like 'workers' and 'employees' with 'colleagues'.
Careers
fromEntrepreneur
3 days ago

Blue-Collar Careers Were Supposed to Be AI-Proof. So Why Is Hiring Down 40 Percent?

Job openings for blue-collar trades have decreased by 40% since 2022, reaching levels seen during the 2009 recession.
#job-market
fromwww.npr.org
3 days ago
US news

Women are getting most of the new jobs. What's going on with men?

Men need support in the job market as women dominate new job growth, particularly in health care.
fromThe Atlantic
1 week ago
Higher education

Young People Are Falling Behind, but Not Because of AI

The rise in unemployment for recent graduates is not primarily due to AI, despite perceptions.
#upper-middle-class
fromFortune
5 days ago
Silicon Valley food

How dual incomes and the tech boom turned the upper middle class into America's biggest income group | Fortune

Careers
fromEntrepreneur
6 days ago

The Upper Middle Class Used to Be an Exclusive Club. Now Its Membership Is Booming.

The upper middle class in America has increased to 31% in 2024, with families earning between $133,000 and $400,000 annually.
fromFortune
5 days ago
Silicon Valley food

How dual incomes and the tech boom turned the upper middle class into America's biggest income group | Fortune

Careers
fromEntrepreneur
6 days ago

The Upper Middle Class Used to Be an Exclusive Club. Now Its Membership Is Booming.

The upper middle class in America has increased to 31% in 2024, with families earning between $133,000 and $400,000 annually.
Atlanta Braves
fromDefector
5 days ago

What Is A Strike | Defector

The Automated Ball-Strike system defines the strike zone based on a batter's height, eliminating human ambiguity in calling strikes.
fromWIRED
4 days ago

Meta Cafeteria Workers Did What Execs Won't: Took on ICE and Won

Under a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, federal authorities had detained Serigne, a Senegalese asylum seeker and the brother of dishwasher Abdoul Mbengue. 'I didn't know what to do at first, but we had this community, and I told them this news,' Mbengue says through a coworker who is translating his French.
Washington DC
Artificial intelligence
fromThe Nation
5 days ago

We All Hate AI, but if You're Poor, It Can Really Ruin Your Life

Luxury brands are emphasizing human artistry over AI to maintain exclusivity and appeal to consumers' desire for authenticity.
Higher education
fromFast Company
6 days ago

Forget white-collar jobs. AI is also displacing workers without college degrees

AI adoption is reshaping the labor market, impacting both college-educated and non-college-educated workers, particularly through changes in career pathways.
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

Editorial | NYC true cost of living' report exposes a town without equity | amNewYork

62% of New Yorkers cannot meet the true cost of living, highlighting a significant economic crisis and racial disparities.
NYC real estate
fromFortune
5 days ago

Housing is so expensive, even a $87 billion Wall Street bank is giving workers $6.5K in cash to get on the property ladder | Fortune

Many American workers have abandoned homeownership dreams due to a housing crisis, prompting BNY to offer financial assistance for first-time homebuyers.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

Two generations are currently arguing about work ethic when what they're actually arguing about is whether suffering should be a prerequisite for dignity. One generation believes it is because that was the deal they were offered. The other is trying to renegotiate. - Silicon Canals

Generational differences in work ethic stem from a broken contract between Boomers and Gen Z regarding dignity and economic stability.
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

What no one tells you about a working-class retirement - Silicon Canals

Retirement can lead to unexpected physical and identity challenges for those who defined themselves by their work.
Public health
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Young people more likely to leave for health reasons when in low-paid, insecure jobs'

Young people in the UK are leaving jobs for health reasons, particularly in insecure, low-paid sectors like hospitality and retail.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
6 days ago

Resident doctors 'want pay we think we're worth'

Resident doctors in England are striking for fair pay restoration, claiming significant pay reductions since 2008 and facing training post shortages.
Higher education
fromThe New Yorker
1 week ago

The Economist Who Wants to Solve America's Wage Problem

Empowering workers and establishing mandatory wage standards across industries is essential for addressing wage inequality.
#minimum-wage
Non-profit organizations
fromTruthout
2 weeks ago

A Shady Nonprofit Pushes Back On Pennsylvania's Proposed Minimum Wage Hike

The Employment Policies Institute opposes Pennsylvania's minimum wage increase, claiming it will lead to job losses and inflation.
NYC politics
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

$30 and a dream: NYC Council pushes minimum wage boost; says increase is a fair share

NYC's $17 minimum wage is insufficient for living costs; progressive lawmakers propose raising it to $30 per hour by 2030 to address the affordability crisis.
Non-profit organizations
fromTruthout
2 weeks ago

A Shady Nonprofit Pushes Back On Pennsylvania's Proposed Minimum Wage Hike

The Employment Policies Institute opposes Pennsylvania's minimum wage increase, claiming it will lead to job losses and inflation.
NYC politics
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

$30 and a dream: NYC Council pushes minimum wage boost; says increase is a fair share

NYC's $17 minimum wage is insufficient for living costs; progressive lawmakers propose raising it to $30 per hour by 2030 to address the affordability crisis.
New York City
fromHoodline
2 weeks ago

Nearly Half Of NYC Workers Struggling To Make Ends Meet

Many New Yorkers struggle to afford basic living costs due to stagnant wages and rising expenses.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

The real class divide isn't between rich and poor. It's between people who were taught the world will accommodate them and people who were taught to accommodate the world. Both are right about the world they grew up in. - Silicon Canals

Social fluency stems from early life experiences, not wealth, shaping expectations of how the world responds to individuals.
Careers
fromBig Think
1 week ago

Why don't Walmart workers walk away from low pay? Monopsony.

Walmart workers find it difficult to leave their jobs despite low wages, challenging the belief that low-paying jobs are easy to replace.
Right-wing politics
fromFortune
3 weeks ago

Economists agree: You're not crazy for feeling like the rich get richer, and the poor are doing worse. Welcome to the 'K-shaped economy' | Fortune

The K recovery illustrates a growing economic divide where the wealthy prosper while the poor struggle, echoing historical patterns of inequality.
Artificial intelligence
fromAxios
2 weeks ago

Behind the Curtain: America's next class war will be over AI fluency

AI fluency is creating economic inequality, with experienced users outperforming newcomers regardless of their roles or tasks.
fromIndependent
3 weeks ago

This Working Life: 'It has been interesting to see how much your status and self-perspective are tied up with your job'

I was 17 when I went to study law in UCD in 1990. At school in Boyle, Co Roscommon, I was interested in science and biology, but I did not take up the CAO offer to study genetics in Queen's as I was scared of maths.
Law
fromApaonline
3 weeks ago

Good Work and Economic Democracy

Within the workplace, the content and conditions of work are largely controlled by employers who often have an interest in degrading the quality of work, both to increase productivity and to increase their control over employees in the workplace. Outside the workplace, employers have both an incentive and the power to undermine measures that would improve the quality of work through the political process.
Philosophy
Film
fromDefector
3 weeks ago

Fair Pay Feels Good In A Place Like This | Defector

Nitehawk theater workers organized a union to improve conditions at an independent Brooklyn cinema that combines movie-watching with full-service dining, joining a broader wave of service industry unionization.
Careers
fromSlate Magazine
2 weeks ago

There's Only One Way to Get More Money at Work. Some People Absolutely Refuse to Do It.

Many people do not negotiate their salaries, often accepting initial offers due to fear of appearing greedy.
NYC politics
fromPrism
4 weeks ago

Proposal for $30 minimum wage gains steam in New York City

New York City Council members proposed raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030 for large employers and $29 for small businesses to address cost-of-living increases outpacing worker wage growth.
#ai
fromFuturism
2 months ago
US politics

Trade Unions Alarmed by Robots Designed to Do Blue Collar Work

Technological and robotic advances intended to expand leisure and security have become concentrated among the wealthy, worsening inequality and threatening blue-collar jobs.
Right-wing politics
fromThe Atlantic
4 weeks ago

The College-Educated Working Class

America experiences recurring mutinies across political divides, with MAGA representing the ur-mutiny that challenges institutional foundations despite holding federal power.
Careers
fromFortune
2 weeks ago

America has a workforce crisis. The solution is already here - and it's being wasted | Fortune

The U.S. economy faces a structural workforce crisis due to declining birth rates, negative net migration, and underutilization of skilled immigrants.
Education
fromFast Company
1 month ago

U.S. workers are carving a path to a new American Dream

American workers are proactively adapting to AI's workforce impacts in real time, demonstrating cultural resilience and pragmatic reimagining of career paths despite accelerating technological change.
US politics
fromKTRH Local Houston and Texas News
1 month ago

Leftist New York City Council Members Propose $30/Hr. Minimum Wage | NewsRadio 740 KTRH | KTRH Local Houston and Texas News

Proposed minimum wage increase to $30/hr by 2030 may reduce jobs and increase automation rather than improve worker outcomes, according to economist analysis.
Miscellaneous
fromThe Nation
1 month ago

Taking Aim at Overpaid CEOs

CEO compensation vastly exceeds worker wages at major corporations, forcing taxpayers to subsidize employee benefits through public assistance programs.
Remote teams
fromBusiness Insider
4 weeks ago

How much gig workers earn per hour across Uber, Grubhub, and similar apps

Gig work hourly pay varies significantly across apps, with TaskRabbit earning $38/hour, Spark $23/hour, Uber $22/hour, and DoorDash $11/hour according to Gridwise analysis of 1 billion tasks.
NYC real estate
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Lux labor: Hundreds of workers from Midtown's luxury residential buildings rally in demand of fair contracts

Workers at three luxury Manhattan condo buildings are rallying for union contracts covering wages, benefits, and pensions after two years of stalled negotiations with building management.
fromApaonline
1 month ago

Good Work and Class Conflict

Work, in the words of Karl Marx, is a "means of life" in two senses. It is, first of all, an instrument for human life. It is the activity by which we reproduce ourselves from day to day, from year to year, from generation to generation. But work also forms, so to speak, much of the matter of human life, at least for most people in any society with which we are familiar.
Philosophy
Business
fromFortune
1 month ago

To unlock employee effort, don't overlook the person holding the wrench | Fortune

Leaders must build cultural engagement and provide necessary tools to motivate front-line employees to deliver discretionary effort and operational excellence.
UK politics
fromBusiness Matters
1 month ago

Labour workers' rights law could hit Gen Z jobs hardest, retailers warn

The Employment Rights Act risks reducing flexible and entry-level job opportunities for young workers, potentially worsening Britain's youth unemployment crisis.
Miscellaneous
fromenglish.elpais.com
1 month ago

The Luxembourg paradox: A record number of working poor in the EU's wealthiest country

Luxembourg's extreme wealth masks hidden poverty, with vulnerable populations including migrants and elderly relying on soup kitchens and social services despite the country's record-high wages.
Careers
fromBackyard Garden Lover
3 weeks ago

12 High-Paying Jobs You Can Land Without A College Degree

High-paying careers increasingly require vocational certificates, associate degrees, or technical training instead of four-year degrees, offering competitive salaries with lower debt and faster entry.
Careers
fromAol
4 weeks ago

10 Jobs That Require Minimal Experience (But Still Pay Over $60 an Hour)

High-paying jobs earning over $60 hourly are accessible without extensive experience through certifications, foundational skills, and hands-on training in fields like information security, actuarial work, and network architecture.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Psychology of Fair Labor

Decent work—encompassing safety, fair hours, adequate pay, healthcare access, and alignment with personal values—is essential for mental and physical health, while its absence creates chronic stress and undermines overall well-being.
Right-wing politics
fromemptywheel
1 month ago

The Wisdom Of The Subservient Class - emptywheel

Conservatism has failed as a rightist sect of liberalism, functioning merely as reactive opposition to other liberal factions while protecting elites from democratic constraints rather than conserving substantive values.
Silicon Valley
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

The reason you feel like you're falling behind isn't burnout - it's a class architecture designed to make upward mobility feel possible while making it structurally impossible - Silicon Canals

Persistent feelings of inadequacy stem from societal narratives about mobility that promise success through individual effort while maintaining structural barriers that prevent actual advancement.
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

9 things every man who worked a trade for 30+ years knows about retirement that white-collar retirees usually learn the hard way - Silicon Canals

Tradesmen understand retirement challenges better than office workers because physical labor teaches lessons about body maintenance, purpose, and identity that desk jobs delay until retirement arrives.
UK news
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

7 things blue collar Boomers know about survival that white collar Boomers had the luxury of never learning - Silicon Canals

Blue-collar Boomers developed practical self-reliance and repair skills out of necessity, gaining mechanical intuition and survival know-how that many white-collar Boomers lacked.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

7 things working-class people do with money that wealthy people secretly wish they'd learned - Silicon Canals

Working-class people track every penny, find joy without spending, prioritize essentials, avoid lifestyle inflation, and build financial resilience through discipline and resourcefulness.
US politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

More exploitation, fewer rights': Argentina braces for sweeping overhaul of labor laws

Argentina's senate prepares to approve labour law reforms that weaken unions, extend working hours to 12, cut severance pay, and allow direct employer-employee negotiations, despite concerns about rising informal employment and job losses.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Why the fightback against Reform must involve the middle-aged, fed-up workers of Britain | Gaby Hinsliff

Middle-aged workers face significant barriers to employment, with 2.15 million aged 50-64 on out-of-work benefits, driven by health issues, caregiving responsibilities, and age discrimination.
World news
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

China's economy is rising, but many citizens are left behind, analysts say

China's GDP rose 5% despite U.S. trade tensions, but weak domestic demand and a troubled housing market leave ordinary people facing serious difficulties.
Canada news
fromYahoo News
2 months ago

Union president says 'a strike vote on remote work' could be coming

Federal government requires public servants back in office four days weekly, provoking union outrage and potential strike votes amid simultaneous job-cut announcements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

The difference between people who grew up with money and people who grew up without it shows most clearly in what they check first when they open a menu - Silicon Canals

Childhood financial circumstances create lasting behavioral patterns in decision-making, visible in how people scan restaurant menus—price-first versus description-first—revealing a scarcity mindset that persists regardless of current wealth.
Travel
fromIndependent
2 months ago

Michael Houghton: 'In a perfect world, wages would keep pace with inflation - but this isn't the case, so we need to continue pushing for pay increases'

Continued career progress is the best way to counter inflation
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

8 things upper middle class people do casually that working class people find tone-deaf and out of touch - Silicon Canals

"Finding good help is so difficult these days." I nearly choked on my coffee the first time I heard this at a dinner party. The speaker was lamenting how their cleaner had rescheduled, throwing off their entire week. Meanwhile, most working class families I know clean their own homes after pulling double shifts, often with kids in tow. What really gets me is when they complain about these services in front of people who could never afford them.
Social justice
US news
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

New data shows wealth inequality reaching unprecedented levels - Silicon Canals

Wealth inequality is historically extreme: the top 1% hold nearly 32% of net worth while the bottom 50% hold just 2.5%.
fromTruthout
2 months ago

The Affordability Crisis Is Real. Only Worker Organizing Can Offer Solutions.

A friend recently told me a story that made this reality impossible to ignore. Her elderly parents live near an elementary school not far from the nation's capital. For several years, they had been quietly raising money to provide groceries and basic supplies for families whose children were going hungry. When Republicans suspended SNAP benefits, the need surged overnight. What had been a steady act of care suddenly became an emergency response.
US politics
fromFuturism
2 months ago

The Workers Building Labubus Are Allegedly Being Horribly Exploited

But beyond their sky-high resale price, the viral collectibles may come with a steep humanitarian cost as well. As The Guardian reports, New York-based labor rights group China Labor Watch (CLW) has accused the toys' maker, Chinese toy manufacturer Pop Mart, of employing 16- and 17-year-olds without offering them the necessary labor protections required by Chinese law. The group also alleges that these young workers aren't given adequate health and safety training, among other labor rights violations at the company's factory in Jiangxi province.
World news
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

8 habits from a blue-collar childhood that no amount of success ever fully erases - Silicon Canals

Blue-collar upbringing instills lifelong habits that persist regardless of financial success or life achievements.
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

8 things lower-middle-class people do to feel safe that wealthy people don't even think about - Silicon Canals

Growing up outside Manchester, I remember watching my mum count out exact change at the supermarket checkout, keeping a running total in her head as she shopped. Meanwhile, my university roommate would just toss things in his trolley without a second thought. That's when it hit me: Financial security isn't just about having money. It's about the mental space that money creates.
Mental health
US news
fromBusiness Insider
2 months ago

New poll shows the shifting conversation around blue-collar work in the age of AI

Most Americans believe hands-on skills and blue-collar jobs are less likely to be replaced by AI and are increasingly valued over formal degrees.
Careers
fromwww.thelocal.se
1 month ago

Number of unemployed graduates rise in Sweden as companies want blue-collar workers

Sweden faces a labor market mismatch: graduates are unemployed while companies struggle to fill blue-collar positions, requiring educational programs to align with market demands.
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

These gig workers are quitting apps like Uber and looking for full-time jobs or other side-hustles

James Howe spent about two years working full-time as an Uber driver in the Denver area after losing his job. Initially, he said, he could work about 40 hours a week, accepting every trip that the Uber app offered him, and earn between $2,000 and $3,000 in gross pay, he told Business Insider.
Business
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

8 phrases blue-collar fathers never said out loud but communicated through every overtime shift, every fixed appliance, and every bill they paid without mentioning it - Silicon Canals

The language of blue-collar fathers isn't spoken-it's lived. It's written in grease-stained paychecks, in Saturday mornings spent under the sink, in showing up to work sick because the mortgage doesn't care if you have the flu. After forty years in the trades and raising my own kids, I finally decoded what my father and countless men like him were really communicating through their actions.
Careers
Business
fromHarvard Gazette
2 months ago

Inequality and location, location, location - Harvard Gazette

Geography significantly shapes housing and labor market outcomes, influencing wages, location choices, rent control effects, and demographic-driven economic dynamics.
US politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Struggling to get by: Behind the US underemployment crisis

Economic policies and federal funding cuts left nonprofit workers vulnerable, causing layoffs, hiring freezes, and prolonged financial hardship despite extensive job searching.
Careers
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

I'm 66 and my grandson asked me what I did for a living and when I said "I was an electrician" he said "oh" - and that single syllable taught me more about how the world sees blue-collar work than forty years of doing it ever did - Silicon Canals

Blue-collar trades like electrical work are undervalued and invisible in society despite being essential infrastructure that enables modern life.
fromFortune
2 months ago

Meet a 23-year-old electrician who was a 'good student' but skipped college to become his own boss. He makes 6 figures | Fortune

Growing up in Concord, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte, Jacob Palmer was a classic academic achiever. "I was a good student," he said in an interview with Fortune. "In high school, I participated in all types of extracurriculars, student leadership, I did a lot of public speaking. I had all sorts of friends." But he said something changed during the pandemic. "School looked drastically different doing online classes and Zoom calls. It felt very intangible." He said he figured out pretty quickly that online college "didn't work for me. I hated it."
fromFortune
1 month ago

Welcome to the 'E-shaped' economy: Wealth gap is no longer between just higher and lower earners, the middle class is also struggling out on its own | Fortune

income‑based divergence in spending and wage growth persists, and we are concerned that a 'K' shape is opening up between higher-income households and middle-income households, alongside the existing gap with lower-income households.
Business
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

'Low pay and boredom led me to get a secret second job'

Public-sector workers holding undisclosed multiple jobs are being targeted by anti-fraud efforts, risking contract breaches, fraud convictions, and recovered salaries.
US politics
fromFuturism
1 month ago

AI Could Cause Workers to Rise Up Against the Corporations Driving Them Into Poverty

AI-driven job threats are catalyzing renewed labor organizing across white-collar and blue-collar workers, potentially revitalizing unions.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

On 100k and feeling hard-done-by? It seems absurd but a cold truth lies beneath | Jason Okundaye

High-earning urban professionals face tax, childcare, and student-loan thresholds that reduce net gains from higher pay, discouraging promotions and extra work, particularly in London.
US politics
fromThe Nation
2 months ago

Is Union Power Growing in Mamdani's New York?

Three adjunct CUNY professors fired after participating in a Brooklyn College protest have been reinstated following union organizing and talks involving Mayor Mamdani.
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 months ago

Brits are being urged to 'strike for a week' in protest over Starmer's policies - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Donaldson calling on Brits to "go on strike for a week" from 2 to 9 February, the right-wing activist says that "native Brits must always come first." On his website he explains that mending "immigration" is not "anywhere near as complicated as politicians pretend." He is calling on the government to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and to "deport" all illegal immigrants from the UK and those who commit sexual and violent crimes.
UK politics
fromwww.standard.co.uk
1 month ago

Workers at London councils to be balloted on pay strike

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: The way the LGA has conducted pay negotiations has been nothing short of a disgrace. Craft workers who do difficult and highly skilled jobs deserve better than the LGA playing politics with their livelihoods and imposing a poor pay offer without negotiations. They will have Unite's full backing throughout this dispute which is of the LGA's own making.
UK politics
[ Load more ]