GoKawiilPew Research: 60% of Americans now call themselves working class, even high earners
A new Pew Research analysis finds that 60% of Americans self-identify as working class, up from 54% last year. Notably, half of adults earning above $155,600—Pew's upper-income threshold—also embrace the label, alongside 67% of middle-income earners and 77% of blue-collar workers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The trend shows that 'working class' has shifted from a strict income marker to a broader feeling of financial insecurity or paycheck dependency, even among relatively high earners. This blurring of class identity could reshape how politicians, marketers, and employers target messaging around economic anxiety and wage growth.
- 60% of Americans now identify as working class, up from 54% in 2024.
- Half of adults earning above $155,600 still consider themselves working class.
- The label increasingly reflects financial insecurity rather than a strict income bracket.
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Published there as: “Is a $155,600 Salary Working Class? A Growing Number of Americans Think So.”
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