Article

Understanding the Working Class and the Challenges It Faces

The working class, a large majority of the workforce and its most racially and ethnically diverse group, faces low pay and higher unemployment.

Many policymakers today claim to speak for the struggles that working families face, but any vision for America that promises to revitalize the working class must recognize who its members actually are and the challenges they face. The working class—defined as workers without a four-year college degree—makes up almost two-thirds of the workforce and is more racially and ethnically diverse than the college-educated workforce. Moreover, more than three-quarters of working-class Americans work in the service sector and workers without college degrees are more likely to have occupations that pay low wages.

This article offers key demographic and economic insights for policymakers who want to improve economic conditions for the working class. Updating previous research from the Center for American Progress, these data points reflect the demographic and economic situations of the working class today. (see Methodology below)

The above excerpt was originally published in Center for American Progress. Click here to read the full article.

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Author

Aurelia Glass

Policy Analyst, Inclusive Economy

Team

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