Look to the nation’s automotive industry for an example of how the economy has changed the middle class during the last 50 years.
In 1968, few mechanics had earned an education further than a high school diploma. Same with factory workers, and other blue collar laborers.
But according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, today’s employers in the automotive industry now prefer to hire mechanics who have undergone a postsecondary education program. In 2007, more than one-third of auto mechanics had postsecondary degrees or certifications of some variety.
Jeffrey Stohl, of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, calls it the “upskilling factor” when explaining the present economy’s reliance on workers who have an education beyond a high school diploma.