How Americans define who is working class may have more to do with economic anxiety than income or education levels.
A recently surfaced survey of Democratic Socialists of America members showed that 13% were white-collar workers, down from 21% in 2017 but up from just 3% in 2013. In addition, 9% worked in the tech sector in 2021, though comparable figures weren’t available for prior years.
That’s more than blue-collar workers, who made up just 4% of members in 2021 versus 3% in 2017 and 2% in 2013. Other categories similarly saw narrow gains or were virtually flat. Retail, food and other service sector workers accounted for 6% of members in 2021, up from 2% in 2013.
Among respondents 25 years old or older, more than 80% had bachelor’s degrees. And while 45% of respondents had household incomes below $60,000, 28% earned $100,000 or more.
Of course, the numbers may be less of a reflection of working-class Americans overall and more descriptive of the DSA specifically
But Zohran Mamdani’s stunning win in New York City’s mayoral race last year and democratic socialists’ election gains this year have shown that they are gaining political support.
By contrast, polling indicates that skepticism of capitalism is up. A Wall Street Journal survey found 51% said capitalism wasn’t working well or not working at all, up from 37% in 2015.
There’s been plenty of fodder for anti-capitalists in recent years. During the Great Recession, millions of American lost their jobs and homes, while the big banks that sparked the financial crisis got bailed out.
Today, soaring tech valuations have created more billionaires and even the world’s first trillionaire. At the same time, the high cost of living has eroded wage gains.
The DSA survey also notably predated the current AI boom, which started in late 2022. Since then, tech companies have announced waves of layoffs, and entry-level jobs have dried up.
To be sure, not all the cuts can be attributed to AI as some executives may be using it as cover for trimming payrolls that became bloated from too much hiring. Some research also blames remote work instead of AI for the lack of early-career opportunities.
But the bottom line is the professional class is increasingly unemployed or worried about being jobless. The most recent data from the New York Fed shows that the unemployment rate among recent college graduates was 5.6% in March, up from 3.9% in March 2022 and more than the overall jobless rate in March 2026 of 4.2%.
Meanwhile, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said the U.S. tech sector has shed about 140,000 workers so far this year, more than any other industry. May’s tally of 38,242 was especially brutal and marked the highest for any month since August 2024.
Gustavo Gordillo, a co-leader of the DSA’s New York City chapter, told the New York Times that the main reason people are drawn to the group is because they do not want to feel powerless amid their economic struggles.
He added that during orientation sessions, new members are taught that anyone who works for a living can be working class.
“A lot of tech workers are working class,” Gordillo said. “We’re trying to build a broad movement—we think of most DSA members as being working class.”
In fact, even Americans earning six figures are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living and report a surprising sense of economic anxiety.
According to a survey from the Harris Poll last year, 64% of six-figure earners said their income isn’t a milestone for success but merely the bare minimum for staying afloat.
To get by, they are currently engaged in or considering side hustles (61%), selling personal items (53%), skipping meals (41%), renting out all or part of their home (41%), and resorting to debt consolidation or bankruptcy (38%).
“Our data shows that even high earners are financially anxious—they’re living the illusion of affluence while privately juggling credit cards, debt, and survival strategies,” Libby Rodney, the Harris Poll’s chief strategy officer, said in a statement.
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