Vast majority of Americans think ‘stigma’ around blue-collar work is declining: Poll

The vast majority of Americans believe any societal “stigma” around blue-collar work is now shrinking, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

The survey, which was conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by the Business for Good Foundation, found that 78% of Americans agreed that the “stigma” surrounding trade or blue-collar work is now “declining” as employers increasingly place value on hands-on skills, Business Insider reported. Meanwhile, 75% of respondents concurred that “hands-on skills and practical experience matter more than formal degrees when it comes to career success,” according to the poll.

The survey also showed that three in four respondents said they agreed that what they presently view as a “good” job is different than what they would have said five years ago, Business Insider reported.

“You’ve got a lot of people that have historically [not thought] the American dream was for them,” Business for Good Foundation cofounder Ed Mitzen explained to Business Insider before the poll’s release on Tuesday. “I would argue that it isn’t broken, it’s just moved, and it’s moved to places we stop looking.”

Additionally, 76% of Americans agreed that “jobs that rely on hands-on experience are less likely to be replaced by” artificial intelligence (AI), according to the new poll, the outlet reported.

A Pew Research Center survey released in October 2025 found that a median of 34% of adults across the world felt more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI, while 42% were just as worried as they were excited and a median of 16% were more excited than concerned. AI-related capital expenditures contributed 1.1% to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of 2025, J.P. Morgan reported in September 2025.

Several analysts previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation in late January that the increasing AI adoption across the nation may cause significant economic issues, such as the gradual erosion of certain entry-level roles and fueling an uncertainty about the economy among some Americans.

Blue-collar employees account for about 27% of the U.S. workforce, Pew Research Center reported in March 2025.

The Business For Good Foundation commissioned The Harris Poll to survey 2,085 U.S. adults. The survey was conducted online from Jan. 13 to 15, and the poll’s overall margin or error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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