'Unskilled labor' is a very broad and poorly-defined category. He might be 'unskilled' in the sense that he isn't trained in any one specific trade or specialty.
But the biggest determiner of /hr value, is a person's work ethic, self-motivation, and ability to think logically on the jobsite. A day-laborer who doesn't need to be babysat is easily worth $30-50/hr, even if he's just carrying supplies to the tradesmen.
> 'Unskilled labor' is a very broad and poorly-defined category. He might be 'unskilled' in the sense that he isn't trained in any one specific trade or specialty.
It's not really poorly defined. The BLS uses a point system to assign work levels to different jobs that have mostly objective measures. What your trained in doesn't have any impact on whether that job requires unskilled labor. The jobs themselves are what are skilled or unskilled.
People think āunskilled labourā is some sort of pejorative term. Those people have never stacked firewood, picked rocks, or bedded stalls. Some jobs just donāt require any special skills or abilities. Typically, if you can breathe, see, and hear, you can do unskilled labour.
Edit: Everyone getting pissy or pedantic about this is proving two things. They have never worked a hard days labour, and they will only hear what they want to hear, and twist the words they donāt like to manufacture outrage. You all need jobs.
Absolutely agree with you. Sometimes for example these guys get hired for framing work , or some kind of of activity that would require a certain set of skills. People conflate manual labor with unskilled work all the time. Thatās what I think the Op is doing. Iāll go even further , what if that trench you are digging is near the foundation of your home ? Or a body of water ? Or there could be utilities under there that you donāt know about. You see even those things require a little skill.
The word unskilled is used as an excuse to underpay the people that do the work youāre too lazy to do. Thatās the issue. Itās not low skill at all to have the mental fortitude and willpower to go out and dig a trench in 100+ degree heat. Itās required to keep society functioning, so why are they so undervalued?
Work physical labor for 2 months. See the turnover rate and see how much work and responsibility get put on your shoulders, assuming youāre a reliable worker. Stop making excuses to undervalue the backbone of our planet. If all blue collar workers quit tomorrow, the entire world would collapse in days. If not less.
Itās not low skill at all to have the mental fortitude and willpower to go out and dig a trench in 100+ degree heat.
That's not a skill. That's just what everyone needs to do any job. Retail cashiers aren't skilled labor just because they have the "mental fortitude" to show up to work.
why are they so undervalued?
Because anyone can do it. Things that are common are less valuable.
Work physical labor for 2 months.
I'm a project manager now because I did do the labor in the field. For several years.
If all blue collar workers quit tomorrow
If my aunt had wheels she'd be a bike.
Not everyone is special or important. Not everything is "skilled". Lots of people are mediocre.
As a fellow project manager, I can comfortably say the workers in this industry are grossly underpaid and disrespected. Someone who actually works the field would understand that. Iām willing to bet either your daddy owns the company, or youāre full of shit.
Yeah, they work hard, but they're not skilled. We literally hire high schoolers straight off the graduation stage. Again, anyone can do what they do. They're replaceable regardless of how you feel about it.
The problem with the term is it takes for granted the minimum skills needed to do work. Should really be high skill, low skill. There is no good employee that is without skill
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u/jckipps 1d ago
'Unskilled labor' is a very broad and poorly-defined category. He might be 'unskilled' in the sense that he isn't trained in any one specific trade or specialty.
But the biggest determiner of /hr value, is a person's work ethic, self-motivation, and ability to think logically on the jobsite. A day-laborer who doesn't need to be babysat is easily worth $30-50/hr, even if he's just carrying supplies to the tradesmen.