Collar workers

Groups of working individuals are typically classified based on the colors of their collars worn as work; these can commonly reflect one's occupation or sometimes gender.^[1] White-collar workers are named for the white-collared shirts that were fashionable among office workers in the early and mid-20th century. Blue-collar workers are referred to as such because in the early 20th century, they usually wore sturdy, inexpensive clothing that didn't show dirt easily, such as blue denim or cambric shirts. Various other "collar" descriptions exist, as well.

White collar

The term "white-collar worker" was coined in the 1930s by Upton Sinclair, an American writer who referenced the word in absolute connectivity and comparison with clerical, administrative and managerial functions during the 1930s.^[2] A "white-collar worker" is a salaried professional, typically referring to general office workers and management. However, in certain developed countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, a person is assumed to be a white-collar worker when such individual engages self either in a highly professional and successful career or works either as an administrative or managerial personnel.

Blue collar

A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual work and either earns an hourly wage or is paid piece rate for the amount of work done. This term was first used in 1924.^[3]

Specialty classifications

Some job categories involve duties that fall under one or more of the categories listed above, or none of the above.^[4] These categories include:

• Grey collar – A skilled technician, typically someone who is both white and blue collar, an example of this kind include Information Technology workers. They are principally white-collar, but perform blue -collar tasks with some regularity, such as engineers.
• Black collar - Illegal professions
• Gold collar – Highly skilled professionals who may be in high demand, such as chartered accountants, surgeons, doctors and lawyers.
• Red collar – Government workers of all types. Derived from compensation received from red ink budget. Also in China, refers to Communist Party officials in private companies.^[5]
• Pink collar – Includes women working as nurses, secretaries, and elementary school teachers; service and hospitality workers.
• Green collar – someone who holds an environmentally friendly job; such as a position at a hydro power plant.
• Orange collar – Prison laborers, named for the orange jumpsuits commonly worn by inmates.^[6]
• No collar – Artists and "free spirits" who tend to privilege passion and personal growth over financial gain. This term was popularized on Survivor: Worlds Apart.^[7]

References

1. Benczes, Réka (2006). Creative Compounding in English: The Semantics of Metaphorical and Metonymical Noun-Noun Combinations. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 144–146.
2. Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition. Electronically indexed online document. White collar, usage 1, first example.
3. Wickman, Forrest. "Working Man's Blues: Why do we call manual laborers blue collar?" Slate.com, 1 May 2012.
4. Van Horn, Carl; Schaffner, Herbert (2003). Work in America: M-Z. CA, USA: ABC-Clio Ltd. p. 597. ISBN 9781576076767.
5. "Red-Collars in Private Companies". Beijing Review. Jun 28, 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
6. Pandeli, Jenna (2014). "Title: Orange collar workers: an exploratory study of modern prison labour and the involvement of private firms". University of Bristol.
7. Feinberg, Daniel. "Recap: 'Survivor: Worlds Apart' Premiere - 'It's Survivor Warfare'". Hitfix. Hitfix, Inc. Retrieved 26 July 2015.

External links

• What Color Is Your Job? Job Classifications and Distinctions
• Blue-Collar, Pink-Collar, Green-Collar, Gold-Collar, No-Collar Marketers: Know Your Audience and Their Origin!