American culture divides its work force into two general categories: Blue-collar and white-collar. Not all jobs fit neatly into either category, but typically blue-collar workers perform manual labor and earn hourly wages. Those employed in blue-collar jobs may be skilled or unskilled and include manufacturing, mining, building or construction trades, mechanical work, maintenance, repair, and technical installation.
Most of the characters in Working are blue-collar workers, such as:
Utkarsh, the elder care worker
“I do the work that no one else will do.”
Anthony, the stone mason
“Stone’s my business. Stone’s my life.”
and Mike, the ironworker
“Strictly muscle work. Pick it up, put it down.”
