Industries and plants were often dirty and very hazardous environments to work in. There was a need for clothing that could let the employers quickly identify the factory workers. These clothes also needed to be made of fabric that would be sturdy and durable enough to hold up to rough wear. It also needed to be used in many different environments and temperatures. Heavy cottons were unofficially accepted as the proper material for worker’s clothing.
Usually the color for both shirts and pants was navy blue but a lighter blue shirt was sometimes used. Although it is commonly thought that the dark blue color was chosen because it resisted staining, it was selected because it was the cheapest for the employers to purchase.
Because blue work clothing was considered by many employees as their “unofficial uniform” the term quickly caught on and became a permanent part of our public vernacular. Many times the companies will furnish this clothing to their employees at no charge or at a discounted rate. Sometimes the clothing is free to the employees but they must pay for cleaning, pressing and repairs.
For years the backbone of the American work force has been a strong core of blue-collar workers. This type of work began to fall out of favor among many people who wanted to “move up in the world”. It should be mentioned that good blue-collar workers can enjoy huge success in life. A good question that should be asked is, “What are blue-collar jobs, if not the heart and soul of the people in any country?” As education began to be available to more people after the end of WWII, these jobs were often eschewed for the higher paying and more prestigious “white collar” office jobs that carried salary wages as opposed to hourly pay.
Many blue-collar families pushed their children away from any job that was not an “office position”. Even when sons wanted to work with their hands as mechanics, or plumbers, parents would plead with him to find another line of work that was not so hard and demanding. A large percentage of blue-collar children did exactly that. They went on to college to secure a “better job” than their parents.
During the 80s these working men positions began to decline and the qualified job candidates were declining at the same time. The closing of many textile plants and clothing manufacturers spurred this move away from blue-collar jobs. Even employment agencies and job counselors were telling people in the 70s and 80s that there was no hope and no future for blue-collar workers in the bright computerized and technologically advanced future that was dawning.
Often factory workers would find their jobs lost to robots or other machinery. Fast on the heels of these job losses came outsourcing of lower paying jobs to other countries. Many blue-collars were finding their earnings and options shrinking. A lot of workers sought other employment and took classes to learn computers and other skills.
With a high number of the most qualified and skilled workers leaving for other employment opportunities the quality of work in many service and industry areas plummeted. Companies began to realize these workers are very valuable assets and the job market began to grow again.
During the latter part of the 80s and into the 90s many entrepreneurial people made fortunes by offering blue-collar services including maid service, housecleaning and general maintenance. Some of these people came from true blue-collar backgrounds but many moved from white collar jobs into these service jobs. They saw the opportunity and they found the jobs enjoyable and rewarding. The public started once again to see value in blue-collar jobs.
There has been a huge upswing lately with these jobs and for many good reasons. Our country depends on these workers to function properly. The pendulum has started to swing in the other direction and these people are beginning to find that they are much in demand. Today skilled blue-collar workers are able to command salaries that rival or outpace many of their white collared brethren.
Some good examples of blue-collar jobs are seen within the building industry. These jobs include carpenters, welders, mechanics, electricians, pipe fitters and heavy equipment operators. In the industrial sector there are jobs for mechanics, maintenance supervisors, plant workers and machinists. Blue-collar workers with experience and skills can check out listings on BlueCollarCrossing to see what openings are available in their local area or in other parts of the country.
There are also blue-collar jobs in the trucking field which include openings and positions for drivers, diesel mechanics, loaders, warehouse supervisors, forklift operators and transportation supervisors. Even federal and state government needs workers for their own well paying blue-collar positions. Some of the highest paying blue-collar jobs in any sector are paying over $70,000 a year.
The top 10 blue-collar jobs throughout the country today are:
- Electrician and electrical workers
- Pipeline Workers and Roustabouts on oil field sites
- Building and Worksite Inspectors
- Locomotive Engineers
- Building Contractors
- Airplane Mechanic
- Brick masons and stone workers
- Ironworkers
- Elevator repairmen
- Pipe fitters
