What does the phrase “working class” mean?

we are not the rich and we are not the poor we are the middle class the people that do physical work in this country the back-bone of America but with inflation and the high cost of gasoline we are becoming the working poor.

The working class, in its traditional sense, is below the middle class.

We tend to not have one anymore.

The middle class were those who could afford to live on one salary, maybe have a cleaning lady but not three live-in-maids,

send their kids to private schools if they chose, and never really worry about poverty.

The men had college educations or their own businesses.

The working class was usually comprised of families in which both man and woman had to work, and often children.

They were not on government aid, but any crisis could send some of them into it.

They could be relativley wealthy construction workers, but with no education and no way to survive if they should become disabled.

They are the meat and bones of the country, but looked down on for all the good they do.

That’s working class, blue collar, call it what you will.

The middle class always had an education and a life insurance policy, and some stocks and bonds.

Now, the two are blending, so I have no idea what it means in 2007 or will mean in 2020.

Working class is a term used in academic sociology and in ordinary conversation.

In common with other terms relevant to social class, it is defined and used in many different ways, depending on context and speaker. The term incorporates references to education, to occupation, to culture, and to income. When used non-academically, it typically refers to a section of society dependent on physical labor, especially when remunerated with an hourly wage.