The Hierarchy of White-Collar Work

Abstract

The changed composition of white-collar work in the federal government is only one manifestation of the remarkable transformation the American labor force as a whole has undergone during the present century. During this period, the American work force increased in size from 28 million to over 100 million. At the start of the century, almost half of these workers made their living by farming, but fewer than 1 in 20 are farmers today (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1975, 1980). But the most relevant change for present purposes is the rise to prominence of the white-collar worker. In 1900, only 18% of American workers were white-collar workers. By 1980, that proportion passed 50% as the American economy became a service economy (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1986).