Six Social Classes in the United States Today

During my research, I have found that depending on where you look there are a variety of Social Classes in the United States. The most obvious and probably the best known are the six social classes primarily used in the United States today. Below, I have compiled some facts that help describe and support each class.

Upper Class

The upper class makes up about one percent of the U.S. population, generally consists of those who have inherited wealth from their families, this is also known as old money.

New Money

The new money class is relatively new on the social class ladder and makes up about fifteen percent of the U.S. population. New money includes people whose wealth has only been around for a generation or two.

Middle Class

The middle class includes about thirty four percent of the U.S. population. Members of this class earn their money by working as professionals. They more than likely have college educations or at least have attended college. These people are generally managers, doctors, lawyers, professors and teachers. They are often referred to as the white-collar worker.

Working Class

The working class makes up about thirty percent of the U.S. population. Some have gone to college, but more have attended vocational or technical training. The members of the working class have a variety of jobs, including the following: Electrician, Carpenter, Factory worker, Truck driver and Police officers. This class is also known as the blue-collar worker. Most individuals in this class wear uniforms to work rather than suits.

Working Poor

The working-poor class have a low educational level, are not highly skilled, and more than likely work at minimum-wage jobs. They often have more than one part-time job and receive no he...

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...eir families. This is a very simple way of explaining why industries are so dependent on one another.

I have a friend who owns a large car dealership. He explained it to me, giving me a much better understanding why the auto industry is failing so miserably. His explanation was much more complex, but I think the analogy I used, allows for one to easily understand the complexity of this situation.

I am currently in the working class as a police officer. I am very comfortable and content in this class. This class supports most of America and is what allows our country to survive. I personally don’t think that today’s system allows for much movement upward. I do however; think a person can go downward very rapidly, especially if their employer takes a direct hit. I am very hopeful that once this economy starts improving, all classes will start to see an increase.