"New Collar" Workers Split Between Hourly or Salaried Jobs

People Report members should take note of a recent survey by SnagAJob.com, which found 40 percent of workers between the ages of 18 and 29 prefer to be hourly workers opposed to salaried employees.

Conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, the survey also found nearly 41 percent of respondents were either salaried employees or working toward that goal. Deemed the "new collar" workforce, this demographic represents approximately 20 million Americans.

"This data shows that young Americans are indeed focused on hourly jobs for their career, a path that compares equally to salaried work in offering rewarding and long-term work," Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com, said in a statement. "America's hourly workforce is extremely diversified -- from retail managers and mechanics to nurses and call-center operators -- and it's refreshing to see that the generation that will propel our country's growth in the coming years truly desires these opportunities."

Higher education was a factor for respondents when considering their career future. The survey found 48 percent of workers without a college degree assumed they would remain hourly employees, while 65 percent with college degrees strived for salaried positions.

Other findings include that 37 percent of hourly workers are happy with their jobs and 16 percent answering they were fulfilled with their career. However 25 percent of hourly workers also claimed they were frustrated.

According to the survey, the top five industries for new-collar workers are: retail (18 percent); service/customer service (16 percent); healthcare (16 percent); office/business (10 percent); and restaurant/food service (8 percent).