Jobs are scarce and wages are stagnant for white-collar workers compared to the boom of a few years ago.
White-collar job postings nationwide are shrinking faster than their blue-collar equivalents, Revelio Labs, a workforce intelligence company, found. Those postings fell 12.7% compared to blue-collar’s 11.6% between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.
Office workers are seeing fewer open roles for titles like information specialists, sales representatives, and business analysts. These business and IT roles are seeing the largest decline as the labor market grapples with slowing job growth.
Several white-collar roles were on Revelio’s list of occupations that had the biggest declines in openings between Q2 2023 and Q2 2025.
Additionally, some other white-collar roles with plummeting job postings included software developers, IT project managers, and market researchers.
Wages grew until mid-2024 for office workers before plateauing for the past year for office workers, Revelio found.
Blue-collar wage growth continued to steadily increase. These workers, however, still make less than white-collar workers on average, Revelio found.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom for office workers, as some jobs are growing in comparison to the past two years. Account managers and recruiters are seeing the highest job posting growth in the past two years.
Tech jobs have been especially tough for people just entering the workforce. Gen Zers hoping to break into the industry are watching the biggest tech companies lay off workers and hear constant chatter about AI replacing many of their hard-earned coding skills.
“The adoption of Generative AI also appears to be a factor. This is a bit nuanced,” said Zanele Munyikwa, an economist at Revelio Labs and author of the research. “Our own research shows that on a task-by-task basis, sales roles are actually less exposed to AI than professions like finance or engineering. However, it’s possible the impact on hiring is so pronounced because AI is targeting the high-volume, top-of-the-funnel activities performed by junior reps, allowing companies to hit their targets with smaller teams.”
AI doesn’t just loom over tech, as many entry-level white-collar jobs could be in the crosshairs of AI. AI leaders say jobs will change, and many will become obsolete. Companies are slimming down their workforces, especially middle managers.
Top executives are the biggest winners in the data. The salary gap between mid-senior management positions and C-suite leadership is growing as execs saw a 26.8% salary raise since 2023’s first quarter.
With the older workforce eyeing retirement, blue-collar workers have been in demand for years. The blue-collar labor force often retires earlier than their peers in less physically demanding roles. This creates an employment gap as retirees are outpacing the Gen Zers and millennials securing these jobs.
Some people are switching careers entirely, seeking more stability in the blue-collar labor market. More high-school graduates are shifting from obtaining a degree to entering a trade as they weigh the cost of college against its return on investment. Whether it be fears of AI, decreased job stability, or less bargaining power for workers in office roles, the blue-collar job boom is working for some.
Are you having trouble finding a white-collar job? Contact these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].
