It’s safe to bet that the vast majority of those graduating from NC State will be using their skills at a desk, in a lab, behind a podium, or some similar setting. These are white-collar jobs. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the hands-on, physical responsibilities that fall on blue-collar workers. At one point in this country’s history, blue-collar jobs helped put America on the map, but recent declines have changed that status quo.
They’re the news stories you hear all the time, but you might not pay attention to their frequency: a plant closing here, a mill there, a distribution center somewhere. There are certainly white-collar jobs in these workspaces that are lost as well, but the blue-collar workforce suffers with every headline like this. There are various reasons for this negative trend, but our generation, both as consumers and as the ones who will one day take the reins of our country’s business, need to pay more attention to blue-collar issues and prioritize American labor.
MyFutureNC Commission Co-Chair Dale Jenkins told The News and Observer that his home of Rutherford County, which had over 50 textile mills, now has none. Jenkins plans to use his organization to stop the slow death of blue-collar postsecondary jobs, which he called “nothing short of a crisis.”
This crisis is directed toward our generation, but it’s not too late for modern business owners to turn things around, either. I understand the seriousness of what I’m asking: Companies outsource labor and kill local plants because of profit margins and legislature.
But, these increasing trends take away income and growth for millions of Americans with blue-collar skills and experience or lesser educations. Trading Economics had U.S. unemployment at roughly 6.5 million in January, up almost 250,000 since December, so the need is there. Again, I understand that the business world doesn’t operate that way, and prioritizes saving money over idyllic sentiments, but it’s time something is done to protect American labor.
The responsibility falls on us as consumers, too. Sometimes, when people spout “buy American,” it comes from a less-preferable initiative. But there is actually a purpose for buying American, such as supporting local businesses and home-grown products.
Unfortunately, it’s currently an uphill battle: Many American products are more expensive, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that not many American consumers are willing to dole out more, even if they are enthusiastic about supporting American-made products. It’s disheartening, but I understand the truth behind that. When our generation becomes the next deciders of prices and other business choices, we need to make blue-collar jobs the initiative and kick up competition with other manufacturing nations.
A 2014 article by Marketplace found that the iPhone 5, which cost $650-$850 at the time, would cost around $2,000 if made completely in America, due to company compensation for labor costs, logistics and parts. Changing consumers’ minds on buying American means more than just opening more plants or other simple remedies; it’ll require a major shift in the entire American economic landscape.
My planned future occupation is white-collar. Chances are, yours probably are too, but who knows what the future holds for either of us, and our loved ones and neighbors. I hate to use a campaign slogan-esque cliché, but this country was built on the blue-collar workforce. A decline in that is a loss of productivity, identity, and of course, ability for lower- and middle-class Americans to make ends meet.
