A new middle class is growing. They are electricians, not AI specialists
We talk to employees of large corporations who often outsource work to “manual” specialists – carpenters, technicians, electricians… — We had specialists who completed orders for 10, 20, sometimes 30,000. zloty. And for months they simply didn't want to issue invoices – we hear.
And these are by no means isolated stories. Where does the delay in issuing invoices come from?
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– This is partly due to the fact that assembly and carpentry experts are not always outstanding accounting specialists – smiles an employee of a large corporation that often outsources manual work. — But also, of course, because the best of them have so many orders that they don't feel so much pressure to get paid quickly – he adds.
This is of course not the rule. There are also those who want to be paid “asap”, i.e. as soon as possible – we hear in our conversations. However, good professionals definitely have something in common – great demand for their services.
See also: “We feel like seamstresses.” This is how AI is destroying the middle class
Where does this come from? The economy is still hot, Poles are getting richer, companies are investing. So everyone needs an electrician, carpenter or plumber. It is not that there is no competition in the “manual” work market. However, labor market experts emphasize that it is still at a “healthy level”. According to the Oferteo.pl platform, over 26,000 applications were submitted on it from January to May this year. inquiries about the installation of electrical installations. “Interestingly, each inquiry attracts on average two offers from contractors – this is an indicator of healthy competition on the market, but also a signal that the demand for electricians is not fully met.” – we read in the analysis of Oferteo.pl experts.
At the same time, 13,000 applications were submitted on this platform. inquiries about hydraulic installations and nearly 3,000 for handyman services.
But what are the salaries of professionals anyway? At first glance, they are not very impressive. The Pracuj.pl platform states that the current average salary of a carpenter is approximately PLN 7.7 thousand. PLN gross. In the case of electricians, it is approximately 9.3 thousand. zloty. However, our conversations show that the stakes may be much higher.
– This is obviously a specific market. But I will say this. A professional is a professional. If someone is a good carpenter or electrician, they can bid virtually any amount, tells us the manager of a large real estate company. It is also no big secret that the black market in “manual” industries is large. Professionals still often settle accounts “under the table” – this especially applies to orders for individual clients. But – as our conversations show – in the case of orders for large companies, it is not as exotic as it may seem.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine the real earnings of professionals. There are “average” people who earn PLN 7,000-9,000. PLN per hand. But also “stars”, which can count on tens of thousands. PLN per month. That is, it is similar to corporations, but among professionals, few people are seriously concerned that AI will quickly take their jobs.
Is a new middle class growing?
Are carpenters and electricians the new middle class? Certainly, the future of traditional “medium” professions is becoming more and more questionable. — Artificial intelligence is beginning to cover an increasingly wider range of tasks in office work and services. We see that AI supports not only customer service, but also analytical and recruitment processes. In many cases, technology takes over the first stages of work, leaving employees with more complex tasks – says Krzysztof Inglot, labor market expert and founder of Personnel Service.
Experts emphasize that the change here is much deeper than it may seem at first glance. Until recently, it seemed that to enter the middle class you had to follow a clearly defined path. What mattered was studies, completed language courses, sometimes certificates… And a position in the company that was laboriously acquired. Meanwhile, the rules in the “manual” middle class are completely different. Many of these professions can be practiced without formal education – although sometimes qualifications are required, and sometimes – they are simply very helpful. Often, such professions in Polish reality are simply “family”. — It's not uncommon for it to be passed down from father to son and then to grandson. It's no wonder that when someone is trained in a profession by his family from a young age, he then has a good start in adulthood – I hear from a carpenter friend of mine.
There are also other differences between the “manual” middle class and the “office” one. Employees in Warsaw or Krakow office buildings often attach great importance to their lifestyle. You should go to a good restaurant, sometimes to an exhibition, go to the gym or try your hand at a marathon. What matters is what school your child attends and where you go on holiday. Finally, it is important which store the jacket or jacket comes from. Or whether you have a Timex, Tissot or Rolex watch on your wrist.
“Like 2015 programmers”
— Honestly, most of the “manual” middle class simply doesn't care about all this. They don't feel like they have to prove anything to anyone. Maybe that's what they have in common with programmers? Both of them, as long as they are aware of their position, can come to work in Crocs and have no problem with it – smiles one of our interlocutors, who often outsources work to carpenters and electricians. He also says that today's professionals also resemble programmers from 2015 in terms of rates. And even that they can be very capricious – for example, it is no secret that some of them can suddenly leave a construction site when they get a much better job somewhere else.
As the same interlocutor adds, the “office” middle class very often looked down on “professionals”. Because they haven't been to a famous exhibition, because they don't know the latest series on Amazon Prime, because they don't know what matcha is… – You know what? Maybe there is some justice in this, that the “office” middle class was punished for its arrogance – our interlocutor wonders.
See also: Investors are betting on AI. 24 stock exchange giants on the verge of being overbought
The question is whether “experts” can really feel calm. For now, robots are not replacing plumbers or electricians. But looking at the rapid development of technology, we can assume that this moment will come sooner or later. And then “professionals” – just like “office workers” today – will have to fight for their position in the middle class.
Author: Mateusz Madejski, journalist of Business Insider Polska
