Final answer:
Knowledge workers are the individuals who work with information in various capacities in an information-driven society and are critical to its economy. They are service sellers like software programmers or business consultants and are essential for success, reflective of the digital age's emphasis on knowledge and technical skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individuals who contribute to and benefit from information used in performing, acquiring, searching, analyzing, organizing, storing, programming, producing, distributing, marketing, or selling functions are known as knowledge workers. In the context of the economy of information societies, these workers play a critical role by driving the economy through their expertise and skills in handling information. As the significance of physical goods recedes, the power lies with those proficient in managing and distributing information, marking a shift towards a postindustrial society. Knowledge workers often include professions like software programmers or business consultants, examples of service sellers rather than producers of goods. In this digital age, technical skills and education become crucial differentiators for success in society, aligning with the modern-day equivalents of influential industrialists like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.