--- title: What’s a ‘new collar’ worker? - The Hustle description: A combination of macro factors have created a massive shift in the American workforce. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1184609923-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-20T024623.939Z.webp --- # What’s a ‘new collar’ worker? ![Rob Litterst](https://thehustle.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Rob-Litterst-pic.png?width=48&height=48&name=Rob-Litterst-pic.png) [Rob Litterst](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/rob-litterst) [Rob Litterst Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/robbylit) Published: April 20, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 For decades, the workforce has been divided by the colors of its collars. ![What’s a ‘new collar’ worker?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1184609923-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-20T024623.939Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=1184609923-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-20T024623.939Z.webp) You’ve got “white-collar” jobs (AKA desk jobs), and you’ve got “blue-collar” jobs, which usually entail manual labor — think construction, landscaping, and food services. But [according](https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-jobs-no-college-degree-necessary-11649371535) to *The Wall Street Journal*, a combination of macro factors have led to a new trend — workers switching collars. #### **“New collar” workers…** … are workers who previously held low-paying hourly roles or blue-collar jobs, and transitioned to jobs in tech. The trend was sparked by a simple equation: 1. **More tech jobs **are available as technology injects itself into every industry. 2. **Fewer workers:** The pandemic kicked off the Great Resignation, leading many people to quit or switch jobs, and leaving tech companies [desperate](https://www.wired.com/story/great-resignation-perks-tech/) for hires. This gap created an opportunity for front-line workers to make a career change and benefit from the flexibility, upward mobility, and higher pay the tech sector offers. #### **What does this mean for higher ed?** The trend is rewriting conventional wisdom around the qualifications necessary to get a tech job — many “new collar” workers aren’t college grads. Instead, they’re using a combination of cheaper online alternatives to level up, including: - **Skill platforms**, like Pluralsight and LinkedIn Learning - **Coding bootcamps**, like the Flatiron School - **YouTube tutorials**, which are totally free Tech companies are adapting accordingly. **Okta**, which makes identity security software, removed degree requirements for many sales roles, and **IBM **and** CVS** are helping inexperienced applicants hone tech skills on the job. #### **And this is just the beginning** A recent study by Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit, found there are **32m **Americans who lack college degrees but have the skills to transition to higher income jobs. Pair that with rising interest in coding — the relative [Google search interest](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2012-01-01%202022-01-01&geo=US&q=learn%20coding) for “learn coding” was **292% higher** in January 2022 than 10 years prior — and it’s easy to see how “new collar” could become the new normal. Topics: [Workplace Issues](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/workplace-issues) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![‘Lazy management’ vs. ‘fake work’](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1322416868-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-woman_sleeping_20230711001539.webp) ### ‘Lazy management’ vs. ‘fake work’ - ![Climbing the corporate ladder? More like scaling the noncompete wall](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/939844908-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Noncompete_20230608234933.webp) ### Climbing the corporate ladder? More like scaling the noncompete wall - ![Office workers dread the commute, spending money](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1603667284-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesMay2024202023commmuting.webp) ### Office workers dread the commute, spending money - ![Top bosses want you back in the office — like, right now](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/961948822-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesMay209202023return_to_office.webp) ### Top bosses want you back in the office — like, right now - ![Hey, CEOs… You good?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/357918615-19-News-Brief_2023-04-24T235457.502Z.webp) ### Hey, CEOs… You good? - ![Millions of Americans retired early. Now they want to work again](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1583684738-News-Brief_2022-03-31T233737.536Z.webp) ### Millions of Americans retired early. Now they want to work again - ![Apparently workers are lying to their bosses about using ChatGPT](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/892524159-19-News-Brief_2023-03-21T004515.517Z.webp) ### Apparently workers are lying to their bosses about using ChatGPT - ![Scammers are coming for laid-off tech workers](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1425929936-HS-News-Brief_2023-01-13T013655.931Z.webp) ### Scammers are coming for laid-off tech workers - ![Your newest corporate nightmare: ‘Bleisure’](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/613368110-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-07T230219.229Z.webp) ### Your newest corporate nightmare: ‘Bleisure’ - ![Why Apple store workers are unionizing](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1809834651-HS-News-Brief_2022-11-16T011948.164Z-scaled.webp) ### Why Apple store workers are unionizing Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. 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