Blue Collar Workers in Demand
Blue collar jobs are always in demand. The only drawback is that they are often seasonal, driven by the ups and downs of business supply and demand. The best ones may be located an area that would require you to pack up and go to another town or city. Or, in today’s global economy, find yourself working in another part of the world.Probably one of the most desirable and highly-paid blue-collar job fields is today one of the most controversial. While the recent oceanic oil well calamity in the Gulf of Mexico has made all the negative headlines, the search for oil deposits all over the world still goes on unabated.The industry has always attracted ambitious workers, from the early 19th Century wildcat oil strikes in Pennsylvania to today’s rich deposits in Saudi Arabia. While the work is often dangerous and far from family and friends, the pay is very high.According to U.S. Labor Department reports, the average annual income for a seasoned drilling and pumping jobs is $60,000. New employees, including apprentices, make about half that amount. Senior workers and supervisors earn $20,000 more. Of course, as with the military, oil workers stationed in remote areas have comfortable living quarters, quality food, work clothing, discount shopping and other benefits provided free.Along with oil industry workers, some less controversial jobs also pay well. Plumbers, welders, big rig drivers, carpenters and other tradesmen who work for large firms average $45,000 in salary annually. When the economy is favorable, they often can double that with overtime, profit sharing and completion bonuses.Independent journeymen who run their own businesses can earn much more if they ply their trades where business is good, such as in big cities, military support and major building projects. However, in bad economic times, when business people and homeowners decide to delay or postpone new building projects, the independent contractors suffer income losses until the economic situation improves. Of course, one of the few booming businesses that have constant need for skilled blue-collar workers is during wartime, as is in full effect this year.Many blue-collar trades are highly or totally unionized, and new workers must go through a structured apprenticeship, lasting from two to four years at relatively low salaries. Then, once they are certified and are union members in good standing, their incomes go up quickly.The demand for blue-collar workers is an economy-driven business. While the income goes up and down at times, there is always the need for those who dig for, build, repair and update everything in our daily lives.
