White-Collar Workforce

The term "white collar" is used to describe a certain type of workforce. It generally refers to workers who perform professional, managerial, or administrative work, typically in an office or similar environment. The term "white collar" came into use because such workers historically would wear formal white collar shirts.

White collar jobs often require a high level of education or skill. They may include roles such as corporate executives, engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, consultants, and IT professionals, among others. These roles often involve a lot of mental or creative effort, rather than physical labor.

The white collar workforce contrasts with the "blue collar" workforce, which traditionally refers to workers in manual labor or skilled trades, such as manufacturing, construction, or maintenance.

These terms, however, are becoming somewhat less meaningful in modern times. The nature of work is changing due to technological advancements, and there is a growing segment of the workforce, sometimes referred to as "new collar" or "no collar," that doesn't neatly fit into either the white collar or blue collar categories. This includes roles in emerging fields such as technology and digital media, which may require specialized skills but not necessarily a traditional four-year college degree.