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White-Collar Workers

Definition

White-collar workers are professionals who perform knowledge-based work as opposed to manual labor. They typically work in office settings and may hold jobs in areas like management, administration, or sales.

Analogy

Imagine white-collar workers as chess pieces on a board game. They're not the pawns (blue-collar workers doing manual labor), but they're also not always the king or queen (top executives). Instead, they're more like the knights, bishops, or rooks - important players with strategic roles that keep the game running smoothly.

Related terms

Blue-Collar Workers: These are workers who do manual labor. Their jobs might involve skilled or unskilled manufacturing, sanitation services, construction etc.

Pink-Collar Workers: These are employees working in service jobs such as teaching and nursing. The term was coined to represent women who were entering workforce but it applies to all genders now.

Service Sector: This is the sector of economy that provides services rather than producing goods. It includes industries like retailing, banking, hospitality etc.