blue-collar workers
Coverage of blue-collar workers in the Nexus archive.
- Chinese blue-collar wage growth outpaces white-collar jobs'
Blue-collar wage growth in China has outpaced white-collar wages for six consecutive years, driven by a booming gig economy with over 300 million people in flexible employment. Food delivery drivers saw annual income growth exceeding 10% from 2023 to 2025, while stagnant white-collar wages and labor market strains were highlighted by a shepherd job in Inner Mongolia attracting 10% recent college graduates among applicants.
- Data center frenzy is spurring a jobs boomlet for blue-collar workers
The surge in U.S. data center construction is increasing demand for blue-collar workers, though economists predict these jobs will be largely temporary. The rush to build infrastructure highlights a short-term labor boom in the sector.
- Bernie Sanders, labor leaders warn of AI risks for workers
Sen. Bernie Sanders and labor leaders warned about AI's potential to displace both blue-collar and white-collar workers. Sanders is advocating for a moratorium on data center construction to address these risks.