Final answer:
White-collar workers is the term used for cashiers, clerks, and government employees in the clerical sector of the industrial economy. Their role shifted with the automation of repetitive tasks and the transition to a service-based economy. These changes marked a profound shift in the composition of the American workforce, particularly in the 20th century.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that identifies the army of cashiers, clerks, and government employees performing clerical work in the new industrial economy is commonly referred to as white-collar workers. These employees were essential in the shift from an industrial to a service-based economy and were responsible for administrative tasks that supported the functions of businesses and government offices. With the automation of the workplace and the rise of technology, many routine tasks formerly done by these workers, such as bookkeeping and clerical work, were replaced by machines, leading to a transformation in the job market.
Previously, intensive labor and craftsmanship were the hallmarks of the economy; however, the industrial revolution brought about a transition to mechanized production facilitated by low-paid, unskilled laborers. The factory system and the time clock introduced a regimented form of wage labor, distancing workers from the fruits of their labor and subjecting them to strict oversight by factory owners and managers.
Despite the automated efficiency, the proliferation of white-collar jobs marked a significant chapter in the American workforce history during the 20th century, expanding rapidly well into the 1950s. The middle-class society that emerged from this transformation was composed of professionals such as engineers, foremen, accountants, and bureaucrats, as well as their support staff including the white-collar clerical workers.