Job Discussion Forums

[Stephen Jones]

It seems VS is using blue-collar to mean two separate things for the earlier period and the later.

The majority of blue collar jobs in the US have disappeared. The truth is that as the author of 'Nickel and Dimed' said, she never thought she would be envying somebody living in a trailer park, but the rents there were out of the reach of those that worked at Walmart and the equivalent.

[veiledsentiments]

No, I am using it in American parlance, which most likely differs from yours. Just as "middle class" has a completely different meaning between the US and the UK. For instance in the US, blue collar is middle class. Nearly everyone in my family would be considered "blue collar" and most of them earn more than a teacher.

The *majority* of blue collar jobs have NOT disappeared unless you think that only factory workers are blue collar. This is the problem when you have a non-American try to define this country based on one book - which I have read too. Great book... but looking down through a microscope...

VS

[johnslat]

Here's an interesting (to me, anyway) statistic):

"Today�s homes are big. No, not big -- huge. The average American home swelled from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,349 square feet in 2004 -- a 140% increase in size. And everything about them is bigger, from their three- and four-car garages to the professional-grade stoves and refrigerators. In 2004, 43% of new homes had 9-foot ceilings, up from less than 15% in the 1980s."

[veiledsentiments]

And nothing has done more to 'ugly' up US houses than those 3-4 car garages. It often looks like a garage with a little house glued onto it. But, it has become necessity rather than luxury. The "blue-collar" electrician across the street from me had 4 vehicles... his work truck, van, wife's car, and the dragster. Then his wife became a school bus driver... that had to go on the street.

VS

[tillymd]

ok