How do you define "working class"?

[Charade]

With all the talk about "Joe the plumber" and the increased tax proposed (by Obama) on those that make over $250K, the term "working class" is put out there and some people believe that anyone making over $250K is not "working class".

So how do you define "working class"? What type of job is that? What type of job isn't "working class"? Is it possible for someone to make over $250K and still be considered "working class"?

Personally, I loath putting people in classes like this but it's out there so I figured why not talk about it.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I dont really know about how to 'classify'.. but if I had to...I'd say people who make over 250k arent' working class...again, thats MY opinion... Of course they are working...but since I'm no where near that bracket it just seems they are 'rich' or at least 'well-off' and probably dont' HAVE to work at the dollar amount or are able to have one spouse stay home on that income...

 

[ConcKahuna]

Working Class to me is an employee who is involved in a job that requires manual labor.

Note: Although they may also be involved in the labor, I do not consider business owners who have employees working under them to be working class.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Working Class to me is an employee who is involved in a job that requires manual labor.

Note: Although they may also be involved in the labor, I do not consider business owners who have employees working under them to be working class.

Yeah...I agree with all that too

 

[Tanuki]

They do a job where no college degree is required - but some technical school training might be required to achieve a specific skill.

They don't own their own business and/or they don't specifically own a share in the profits of the business.

They don't set their own hours. They have to punch a time clock and/or someone supervises their work hours.

 

[Teejay32]

Working class = People who work for wages. It's an ill-defined and arbitrary classification, useful when you're studying Marxism or Sociology or something, but for what else I don't know. A better description would probably be "not rich."

 

[disneyjunkie]

When I think of working class, I think of

teachers
nurses
transit workers
garbage collectors
postal workers
gas, cable, phone...
construction workers
fast food
cashiers
janitors
waiters


There is a wide range of salaries in this list, but I doubt if any are making over 250K.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

I dont really know about how to 'classify'.. but if I had to...I'd say people who make over 250k arent' working class...again, thats MY opinion... Of course they are working...but since I'm no where near that bracket it just seems they are 'rich' or at least 'well-off' and probably dont' HAVE to work at the dollar amount or are able to have one spouse stay home on that income...

But people making over $250K that own a business don't always see the $250,000... They pay a mortgage or rent for their business.. they pay their workers... plus other fees too. Also depends on where you live I think.

 

[Violet Crayon]

I know it's wikipedia, but it's a model of the classes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Class_Thompson_Hickey_copy.png

As a child I always referred to my family as middle class until I actually looked into and realized we were a working class family.

 

[dvcgirl]

Working Class to me is an employee who is involved in a job that requires manual labor.

Note: Although they may also be involved in the labor, I do not consider business owners who have employees working under them to be working class.

To me you're describing more of a "blue collar" worker under that type of "manual labor" definition.

"Working class" to me is really anyone who isn't "independently wealthy". Independent wealthy to me isn't even necessarily "wealthy"....it simply means that you've created enough of a nest egg that you can live off a 4-5% withdrawal rate per year through your retirement without needing to earn additional income.

 

[RitaE]

I define it as somebody with a primary source of income from a job/career vs somebody who lives off of some sort of passive income such as investments.

 

[c4a]

They do a job where no college degree is required - but some technical school training might be required to achieve a specific skill.

They don't own their own business and/or they don't specifically own a share in the profits of the business.

They don't set their own hours. They have to punch a time clock and/or someone supervises their work hours.

I just found out I am not working class.
I have a Master's Degree. Earned it while working a full time 40 hr. wk job + raising my neice at the same time (by myself).
Besides my primary job where I am salary.( Geez-that didn't help...we have no time clocks.), I also have started a home based business in the past year.
I don't make $250,000 a year-not even close.
Here all these yrs. I have thought I was working class because I work my hiney off (No one to do it for me while I collect a check off their work). So, even though I put in almost 72 hours a week I am not working class...but someone who works a 40 hr week is? Whooooo HOooooo. Wait until I tell dh. We have finally "arrived"-we are upper class...too bad we are too tired to enjoy it.
My definition of "working class"-anyone who has to work to make a living and pay their bills or who is retired and still has to meet their bills at the end of the month.

 

[breezy1077]

Well, interesting.....DH works betw. 10 and 12 hrs each day and some Saturdays as did I when I was in the office. Roughly 60hrs a week on avg., yet most would not classify us working class.

Although, how is that not "working" class, but someone who works 5 8hr. shifts is - is beyond me.

I've always been very confused by that terminology.

 

[Goofycampers]

This is the danger of promoting class warfare as the Democrats always do in an election year. They spout the "republicans are for the rich" crap. We are far from rich, but I don't think those that are well off should have to pay more taxes percentage wise than I do. That's just not fair.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

But people making over $250K that own a business don't always see the $250,000... They pay a mortgage or rent for their business.. they pay their workers... plus other fees too. Also depends on where you live I think.

But....I would think someone who owns a business isn't 'working' class....they are employing the working class...

But..I see your point too if money is still tight....I dunno..
Like I said, hard to define...each situation is so different.

 

[ConcKahuna]

But people making over $250K that own a business don't always see the $250,000... They pay a mortgage or rent for their business.. they pay their workers... plus other fees too. Also depends on where you live I think.

True, but as a business they also get taxed differently.

 

[Charade]

But....I would think someone who owns a business isn't 'working' class....they are employing the working class...

I disagree. If the owner isn't sitting back like a King watching his subjects work and wait on him and is running the business, he's working class.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I disagree. If the owner isn't sitting back like a King watching his subjects work and wait on him and is running the business, he's working class.

maybe so.....think it depends on the type of business...
they own a construction company and they have to work with the team to make a profit, then yeah...

again...i dont claim to be an expert on any of this...just opinions...that may vary from scenario to scenario

 

[eliza61]

With all the talk about "Joe the plumber" and the increased tax proposed (by Obama) on those that make over $250K, the term "working class" is put out there and some people believe that anyone making over $250K is not "working class".

So how do you define "working class"? What type of job is that? What type of job isn't "working class"? Is it possible for someone to make over $250K and still be considered "working class"?

Personally, I loath putting people in classes like this but it's out there so I figured why not talk about it.

My definitions:

Rich: When you're money works harder for you and can support your lifestyle

working class: When you work hard for the money. DH & I make a pretty decent salary. We also work ridiculously hard for our salaries so we consider ourselves firmly working class.

 

[kellyg403]

This is hard call for me. I consider dh and I working class. He is self employed but he has no employees, just himself. He drives a truck for a parent company but he has to pay all his taxes etc by himself.

We make nowhere near the 250k mark...even together. But he does make a good living, more than average I would guess. So, I don't know what we are considered!

Kelly