Study: Most Voters See Themselves as Working Class — But Politics Plays a Role

The label “working class” may be broader than many Americans realize.

A new Pew Research Center analysis finds that 60% of U.S. adults say the term “working class” describes them well. The identity stretches across income and education levels — even half of Americans with a bachelor’s degree and half of upper-income Americans consider themselves part of the working class.

But the way Americans view themselves also appears to have a political dimension. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to identify as working class, regardless of education, income, financial circumstances or occupation. Among college graduates, 56% of Republicans describe themselves as working class, compared with 44% of Democrats.

Race and ethnicity also factor into how Americans use the label. About 62% of White adults and 59% of Hispanic adults identify as working class, compared with 54% of Black adults and 52% of Asian adults.