Study reveals most supportive cities for Blue Collar workers in Europe, using data related to financial prosperity, economic well-being, and trade unionisation.
Copenhagen, Denmark is the #1 city for blue-collar workers, scoring well for unionisation, blue-collar representation in the labour market, and salaries afforded. Basel, Switzerland, follows up second with Dublin, Ireland ranking third.
Based on recent unemployment data, Karlsruhe, Germany reports the lowest rate of unemployment (3.80%), followed by Prague, Czechia (4.30%), and Nuremberg as well as Kiel, Germany (4.50%).
Amsterdam, Netherlands is the highest-performing city for blue collar workers, with Truckers (#1), Construction Workers (#2), and Warehouse and Logistics Workers (#4) having strong purchasing power.
Manchester, UK ranks #40 out of 50 for Blue Collar workers in Europe.
Berlin, Germany, September, 2020 — Warehousing technology specialists Jungheinrich PROFISHOP has released an index evaluating the standard of living for blue collar workers in key European cities; a fundamental yet often overlooked sector. As experts in warehousing and logistics, Jungheinrich PROFISHOP has gained insight into the know-how of blue-collar work and the value this sector brings to the overall stability of many multinational enterprises. To raise awareness recognising occupations, Jungheinrich PROFISHOP has looked into 50 cities across Europe to find out which cities offer the best quality of living to blue-collar workers.
How the study was conducted:
Four occupations classified as “Blue Collar Work” were selected for comparison among cities. Based on the reliability of data and relevance in industrial sectors, the following professions were selected: truck drivers, construction workers, metal workers, and logistics and warehouse employees.
Next, a shortlist of in-demand cities across Europe was made, based on their reputation as economic hubs and desirability. Based on the availability of transparent data, 50 cities were finalised. The financial, economic, and societal well-being of these trades were then evaluated by measuring the average base salary and purchasing-power-parity (PPP) of each profession across the sample of cities.
To complement trade-specific data, industry-wide information was collected to include the wider economic condition of the job market. Support for blue collar workers were evaluated through measuring unionisation, the proportion of industry and construction workers represented in total employment, as well as the overall, most recent estimated unemployment rate (last updated June 2020).
The result is an index of 11 factors measuring the financial prosperity, economic well-being, and unionisation of craftworkers across Europe’s most popular cities, valorising those which provide blue-collar workers with the most support in the face of a structural transformation in the job market.
The table below reveals a sample of results for Manchester, UK:
This is an excerpt from the full results, which you can find here: https://www.jh-profishop.de/blue-collar-index/
Main Results
Truck Drivers
Highest Salaries
(EUR/year): Lausanne, Switzerland (63,001) Geneva, Switzerland (56,259), Zurich, Switzerland (56,062).
(PPP Deviation): Dublin, Ireland (49.20%), Basel, Switzerland (37.00%), Lausanne, Switzerland (36.71%).
Lowest Salaries
(EUR/year): Budapest, Hungary (10,779) Riga, Latvia (11,946) Warsaw, Poland (13,675).
(PPP Deviation): Riga, Latvia (-41.93%), Paris, France (-31.63%), Budapest, Hungary (-30.92%).
Construction Workers
Highest Salaries
(EUR/year): Lausanne, Switzerland (60,975) Geneva, Switzerland (60,964) Zurich, Switzerland (54,145).
(PPP Deviation): Amsterdam, Netherlands (57.25%), Brussels, Belgium (46.55%), Dublin, Ireland (39.70%).
Lowest Salaries
(EUR/year): Prague, Czechia (8,541), Budapest, Hungary (9,008), Riga, Latvia (10,761).
(PPP Deviation): Prague, Czechia (-58.23%), Riga, Latvia (-47.69%), Budapest, Hungary (-42.28%).
Metal Workers
Highest Salaries
(EUR/year): Basel, Switzerland (57,512) Lausanne, Switzerland (57,388) Geneva, Switzerland (57,380).
(PPP Deviation): Paris, France (42.10%) Zurich, Switzerland (32.51%) Munich, Germany (29.46%).
Lowest Salaries
(EUR/year): Riga, Latvia (10,280) Warsaw, Poland (10,434) Bratislava, Slovakia (13,006).
(PPP Deviation): Riga, Latvia (-49.28%) Budapest, Hungary (-34.12%) Schwerin, Germany (-24.92%).
Logistician/Warehouse Workers
Highest Salaries
(EUR/year): Basel, Switzerland (53,099) Zurich, Switzerland (53,090) Lausanne, Switzerland (52,692).
(PPP Deviation): Copenhagen, Denmark (34.68%), Amsterdam, Netherlands (34.10%) London, United Kingdom (29.92%).
Lowest Salaries
(EUR/year): Budapest, Hungary (9,921) Riga, Latvia (10,323) Warsaw, Poland (11,459).
(PPP Deviation): Riga, Latvia (-49.82%) Budapest, Hungary (-36.42%) Warsaw, Poland (-27.74%).
Unionised Workers (Score)
Highest Score: Copenhagen, Denmark (100.00) Stockholm, Sweden (98.63) Helsinki, Finland (94.71).
Lowest Score: Budapest, Hungary (50.00) Marseille, France (50.77) Paris, France (50.77).
Share Industry and Construction of Total Employment (%)
Highest Share (%): Karlsruhe, Germany (30.36%) Stuttgart, Germany (30.36%) Erfurt, Germany (29.73%).
Lowest Share (%) Manchester, United Kingdom (6.71%) Brussels, Belgium (7.32%) London, United Kingdom (8.84%).
Estimated Unemployment Rate (June 2020)
Lowest Rate of Unemployment (%): Karlsruhe, Germany (3.80%) Prague, Czechia (4.30%) Kiel, Germany (4.50%).
Highest Rate of Unemployment (%): Athens, Greece (21.60%) Barcelona, Spain (19.50%) Madrid, Spain (17.10%).
Quotes
“Blue-Collar work is the foundation of many successful enterprises. For many industry-economies such as Germany, relying on these occupations requires a show of support from the side of governments,” comments Jan Mackowiak, Team Manager in Product Management at Jungheinrich PROFISHOP. “Making these professionals feel valued continues to be an integral key to industry success, and we hope that by focusing on labour well-being through a range of factors, our dataset illustrates how recognition is exemplified through factors more than pay — including representation, unionisation, and labour demand.”
“While many white-collar workers had their hours reduced during the coronavirus outbreak, many under the blue-collar tag continued to put their lives at risk for the job, highlighting the indispensability of this line of work,” comments Jan Mackowiak, Team Manager in Product Management at Jungheinrich PROFISHOP. “Urban locations in particular, have seen this transition most: while streets emptied, blue collar workers continued to be on the clock. For instance, recognising the warehouse workers who enable you to get your wants and needs without leaving the house, or the truck drivers who transport essential cargo from A to B, requires a translation into action, both through material and immaterial compensation, as well as validation.”
