The United States was built by blue collar industry - the factories, the shipyards, the construction - but today many cities are transitioning toward white collar dominated industries like business, insurance, and technology, as the old blue collar industries move overseas. This has left some woodworking machinery operators wondering whether they'll be able to find a job in another city if they move. If you're a blue collar worker looking to move to Irvine, California, we'll give you an idea of what your chances of finding a job are.

Overall, the professional sector takes up a whopping 31% of the businesses in Irvine, with blue collar professions like wholesaling and manufacturing accounting for 14% and 7% of the businesses respectively. However, when we look at the number of employees, a different picture emerges. In this one, more people work with industrial insulation than with computers. 22% of people work in the manufacturing industry while 18% work in the professional sector. Wholesaling stays around the same, at 15%.

So what do the businesses which supply most of the blue collar jobs do? There are over 450 businesses in total and the largest segment (119 businesses), is involved in manufacturing computer parts and electronics, which compliments the professional industry. Other activities involve more traditionally blue collar activities, like tightening rotary valves or building furniture. Businesses in Irvine also make food, textiles, chemicals, plastic and metal products, machinery, and transportation equipment, while other businesses warehouse and transport it.

Of course, not all blue collar jobs are found in blue collar industries like transportation and manufacturing. There are other blue collar jobs that fall under the umbrella of white collar industries like business, education, or health care. Orderlies, janitors, maintenance workers, gardeners, sanitation engineers, security guards, and sludge removal technicians are all needed to make the white collar world run. Some of these jobs are accessed through the company and others are farmed out to contractors who provide crews for hire.

And there are also other avenues of employment for blue collar professionals - construction and self employment, which every city needs. In fact, 4% of men in Irvine are employed in the construction industry, building new infrastructure and installing bathroom vanities for homeowners. With such a high proportion of detached single family residences, there's a lot of call for people who can do repairs and construction, such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, heating technicians, refrigerator repairmen, and pavers, so you might consider starting your own business.