Is the Working Class Working?

To many Americans, the term “working class” feels vaguely, well, un-American. The phrase hearkens back to the type of hierarchical, low-mobility society that so many of our ancestors came to America to escape. Recently, however, political campaign analysts have forced us to acknowledge that America does indeed have a working class, with a membership that is large enough to constitute a significant swing vote.

So who are these working class people who are attracting so much media attention these days?

Strictly speaking, most Americans are members of the working class. Approximately four fifths of adults on private non-farm payrolls are in non-supervisory positions, such as manufacturing production, construction, and low-skilled white collar jobs. Most working class adults are also among the 71% of adults over 25 who have not earned a 4-year college degree, and as a result their career and earning opportunities are limited. The annual income gap between working adults with a high school degree and those with a bachelor’s degree is $29,000. The positive flip side of this fact, verified in a recent Pew Charitable Trusts/Brooking Institution study, is that college degrees can enhance the upward mobility of any American, whether the degree holder is from a wealthy, poor or middle income family.

The financial prosperity of individual Americans and the long-term competitiveness of the American economy are both a function of education. In a rapidly changing global economy, it is the innovators and knowledge workers who are best equipped to participate and contribute to U.S. economic vitality.

For this reason, the U.S. education gap is cause for alarm. Working class adults without a college education are finding it difficult to remain relevant as American businesses stay competitive by hiring highly skilled employees and automating or off-shoring jobs that do not require specialized knowledge. The prospect is not much better for the children of working class families. High school drop-out rates are high, and studies indicate that most of those who do graduate from high school are incapable of successfully completing freshman-level college coursework.

The United States will need all hands on deck if it is to retain its position of economic leadership. When such a large percentage of Americans are incapable of participating and prospering, the whole country suffers. Job number one for U.S. elected officials must therefore be a commitment to an education system that prepares American children to thrive in the 21^st century global economy.