Final answer:
The aspiration for white-collar jobs signifies a shift towards administrative or mental labor, contrasted with physical labor within blue-collar jobs. However, current trends such as outsourcing and increased bureaucracy have diminished the prestige of some white-collar positions. Meanwhile, industry shifts away from agriculture towards service jobs have left many untrained for the available positions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Avoiding manual labor and aspiring for a white-collar job signifies a shift towards jobs that typically involve mental or administrative work, rather than physical labor. These jobs, often in the business or service sector, contrast against blue-collar jobs such as manufacturing or manual labor work. Whilst white-collar jobs have traditionally been seen as more prestigious, providing higher income and better working conditions, current trends indicate that this may be changing.
Due to factors such as outsourcing and high levels of bureaucracy, many white-collar positions have lost their earlier prestige. Outsourcing has resulted in the reduction of high-paying white-collar jobs and rise of positions in international technical-support call centers. On top of this, an increase in bureaucracy has led some white-collar workers to feel their work is useless and causes moral and spiritual damage.
Meanwhile, traditional areas of work such as agriculture have seen declines, while service industries are increasing. These changes in the job market have left many workers untrained for the types of jobs available. Instead of taking pride in their work, workers are often left feeling like a redundant part of a larger machine, adding to the problems faced in the world of work today.
Learn more about white-collar jobs