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Working Class -What does it mean to be "working class" today? While the term historically brought to mind blue-collar labor, like factory floors and work in the trades with lower to lower-middle class incomes, modern usage has blurred these lines. Economically, the The Pew Research Center defines the lower-income bracket as households earning under $55,820 annually (two-thirds of the national median). Yet, a recent 2026 study from that same institution reveals a massive psychological shift: 60% of Americans now self-identify as working class, including half of all college graduates and, remarkably, half of upper-income adults making over $155,600 a year. Is "working class" still a strict metric of income and industry, or has it become a broader psychological state defined by perceived financial standing, cultural shifts, and political identity?
https://www.courthousenews.com/who-is-the-working-class-depends-on-who-you-ask/
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/16/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
https://www.robkhenderson.com/p/zohran-mamdani-doesnt-know-what-working
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/04/college-working-class-union-labor/686059/