Dublin Opinion

There is no such thing as a classless capitalist economy. Nor is it possible to have a functioning economy comprised of middle-management and professionals. Yet, Irish common sense insists that the southern state is a free-market capitalist economy with no class issues, because the vast majority are middle class. But, with no class issues in this classless capitalist utopia, what exactly is the middle class in the middle of?

On Tuesday, and again on Thursday, this blog turned to the ideas of Michael Zweig, in an effort to throw some light on Irish class divisions. Zweig argues that class is about power in the workplace, with associated power issues in politics and culture as well. Yesterday, the CSO released volume eight of the 2006 census: occupations. So, with Zweig’s ideas in mind, below is a breakdown of middle-class and working-class occupations and positions.

The figures below omit two sections. One is builders and building contractors (17,119). This is because I can’t see how it’s possible to see them as middle class - not in our economy, anyway, not with the power that they have to dictate economic and political policy. I’ve included them in the second pie-chart, but omitted them from the occupation breakdown. The other is the figure for Gainfully employed but not stated (165,143). This is because, well, it’s not stated what occupations/positions are involved. they could all be cleaners, or they could all be barristers. Who knows.

I have included farm owners and managers (72,048) in middle class. The figure is hard to break down into owners and managers, and so all of it goes into middle class.

Class is not a rigid caste system. Some cases bleed over, others are hard to equate with one or the other. So. Please remember, this is an analysis of national figures. It is macro, not micro. Finally, this is not a breakdown of class in Irish society, but of class occupations and positions among the working population. No national figures are given for the business, or owner, class in Ireland. What figures have been given (for builders and farm owners), have either been incorporated into the middle class table, or highlighted as omitted.

The point here is to show that talk of a disappearing working class belongs with Mark Twain’s obituary. Nor should the fact that the majority of Irish working people find themselves in working class occupations and positions be of any surprise to anyone with even the faintest understanding of how a capitalist economy works. The middle class majority in Ireland is a middle class myth.

CLASS BREAKDOWN, BASED ON CENSUS DATA, 2006

CLASS BREAKDOWN, BASED ON CENSUS DATA, 2006, INCORPORATING BUILDERS AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS.

WORKING CLASS OCCUPATIONS/POSITIONS

Farm workers - 7,034
Agricultural machinery drives / other farming occupations - 5,555
Fishing and related workers - 1,717
Forestry workers - 1,576
Electricians & electrical maintenance fitters - 25,726
Telephone fitters - 4,124
Cable jointers and lines repairers - 978
Radio, TV and video engineers - 712
Computer engineers (installation/maintenance) - 3,433
Other electrical & electronic trades - 3,402
Toolmakers - 1,369
Metal working production & maintenance fitters - 23,199
Precision instrument makers, goldsmiths, silversmiths… - 1,758
Other machine tool setters & CNC setter-operators - 867
Smiths, forge/metal plate workers & shipwrights - 539
Plumbers, heating/ventilating engineers/related trades - 15,965
Sheet metal workers - 3,152
Welders and steel erectors - 9,028
Motor mechanics, auto electricians, tyre and exhaust fitters - 14,026
Vehicle body repairers, panel beaters & spray painters - 3,616
Moulders & furnace operatives (metal) - 330
electroplaters, galvanisers & colour coaters - 119
Other metal making & treating process operatives - 896
Machine tool operatives (inc. CNC machine tool operatives) - 4,240
Other automatic machine workers, metal polishers, etc 281
Weavers, knitters, warp preparers, bleachers, dyers, finishers - 696
Sewing machinists, menders, darners, embroiderers - 2,702
Coach trimmers, upholsterers, mattress makers - 904
Shoe repairers & other leather makers - 455
Tailors, dressmakers, clothing cutters, milliners, furriers - 851
Other textile, garments & related trades - 427
Tannery production operatives - 128
Spinners, doublers, twisters, winders, reelers - 116
Other textile processing operatives - 1,137
Bakers & flour confectioners - 2,251
Butchers & meat cutters - 5,680
Fishmongers & poultry dressers - 521
Bakery & confectionery process operatives - 867
Tobacco process operatives - 146
Other food & drink (inc. brewing) process operatives - 16,611
Printers, originators, compositors - 3,512
Bookbinders, print finishers, other printing trades - 2,938
Chemical, gas, petroleum process plant operatives - 642
paper, wood and related process plant operatives - 642
Rubber process operatives, moulding machine operatives, tyre builders - 348
Plastics process operatives, moulders, extruders - 2,363
Synthetic fibre, other chemical paper, plastics, related operatives - 919
Cabinet makers - 4,055
Other woodworking trades - 1,051
Glass product, ceramics makers, finishers, other operatives - 2,825
Other craft & related occupations - 2,379
Assemblers. Lineworkers (electrical & electronic goods) - 14,296
Assemblers. Lineworkers (metal goods & other goods) - 11,233
Packers, bottlers, canners, fillers, weighers, graders, sorters - 6,225
Mechanical plant drivers/operatives, crane drivers - 12,632
Fork lift truck drivers - 11,031
Electrical energy, boiler & related plant operatives/attendants - 1,559
woodworking machine operatives - 2,716
Mine (excluding coal) & quarry workers - 2,037
Bricklayers, masons - 15,645
Roofers, slaters, tilers, sheeters, cladders - 6,347
Plasterers - 13,641
Glaziers - 1,156
Floorers, floor coverers, carpet fitters, planners, floor & wall tilers - 2,944
Painters & decorators - 12,652
Scaffolders, riggers, steeplejacks, other construction trades - 6,614
Carpenters & joiners - 37,769
Pipe layers/pipe joiners, related construction workers - 9,788
Rail construction & maintenance workers - 548
Road construction workers, paviors, kerb layers - 8,802
Other building & civil engineering labourers - 37,234
Storekeepers, warehousemen/women,despatch, production control clks - 21,369
Travel & flight attendants - 3,669
Drivers of road goods vehicles - 35,111
Bus conductors & coach drivers - 7,674
Taxi/cab drivers, chauffeurs, couriers - 17,350
Seafarers (merchant navy), barge & boat operatives - 927
Rail engine drivers and other railway line operatives - 1,356
Other transport and machinery operatives n.e.s. - 1,839
Stevedores & dockers - 527
Goods porters - 2,715
Drivers mates - 496
Postal workers & mail sorters - 7,426
Accounts & wages clerks, book-keepers, other financial clerks - 30,538
Cashiers, bank & counter clerks - 27,323
Debt, rent & other cash collectors - 988
Filing, computer, library & other clerks n.e.s. - 77,855
Secretaries, medical, legal, personal assistants, typists, word processor operators - 30,878
Receptionists & receptionist-telephonists - 12,469
Telephone operators, telegraph operators, other office communication system operators- 2,149
Bar staff - 15,727
Buyers and purchasing officers - 2,959
Sales assistants, check-out operators, petrol pump attendants - 93,555
Market/street traders & scrap dealers - 480
Merchandisers, window dressers, floral arrangers, telephone sales - 5,860
Computer operators, data processing operators, other office machine operators - 4,271
Lab technicians - 4,831
Nurses & midwives - 51,145
Medical technicians, dental auxiliaries, dental nurses - 5,543
Nurses’ aids - 9,405
Photographers, camera, sound & video equipment operators - 2,640
Security guards & related occupations - 12,822
Other security & protective service occupations - 1,294
Waiters & waitresses - 15,295
Care assistants & attendants - 33,711
Childminders, nursery nurses & playgroup leaders - 17,342
Educational assistants - 9,512
Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians - 19,112
Housekeepers (domestic & non-domestic) - 5,994
Caretakers p 6,472
Launderers, dry cleaners, pressers - 2,841
Hotel porters & kitchen porters - 8,233
Counterhands & catering assistants - 16,013
Roundsmen/women and van salespersons - 3,348
Local government clerical officers and assistants - 10,221
Prison service officers - 2,537
Police officers (sergeant and below - minus 2,200 for sergeants) - 9,684
Soldiers (minus 33% as estimate for sergeant) - 4,288
Water & sewerage plant attendants - 441
Refuse & salvage collectors - 1,870
Gardeners & groundsmen/women - 9,270
Other plant, machine, process operatives - 9,986
Mates to metal, electrical & related fitters - 1,201
Labourers in engineering & other making/processing industries - 2,459
Window cleaners & car park attendants - 984
Cleaners & domestics - 29,642
Other occupations in sales and services - 985
All other labourers & related workers - 6,959
Railway station workers, supervisors, and guards (-33% for supervisors. est.) - 382
Total 1,125,650

MIDDLE CLASS OCCUPATIONS/POSITIONS

Horticultural trades - 484
Inspectors, viewers, and lab testers - 2,675
Building managers - 6,351
Architects, town planners, surveyors - 6,819
General managers in large companies - 17,048
Production & works managers 20,686
Company financial managers - 7,006
Marketing managers - 30,287
Purchasing managers - 2,113
Personnel managers - 7,823
Other financial managers - 27,398
Entertainment & sport managers - 3,033
Other managers -10,004
Transport managers - 3,214
Stores and warehousing managers - 7,960
Aircraft officers, traffic planners & controllers - 1,548
Ship & hovercraft officers - 705
Bus & road transport depot inspectors - 460
Garage managers & proprietors - 2,054
Managers & proprietors of butchers - 1,252
Managers and proprietors of shops - 50,124
Importers, exporters, commodity and shipping brokers - 551
Technical & wholesale sale representatives - 17,104
Auctioneers, estimators, valuers, other sales reps - 12,088
Credit controllers - 3,343
Bank & building society managers - 8,624
Barristers & solicitors - 10,003
Chartered & certified management accountants - 27,116
Actuaries, economists, statisticians, management consultants & business analysts - 7,037
Librarians, archivists, curators - 1,688
Legal service & related occupations - 2,241
Underwriters, claims assessors, brokers, investment analysts - 14,302
Personnel, industrial relations, work study officers - 4,708
Computer systems managers - 11,518
software engineers - 11,180
Computer analyst programmers - 18,619
Chemists - 1,938
Biological scientists - 4,882
Physicists - 673
Other natural scientists - 2,529
Civil & mining engineers - 6,858
Mechanical engineers - 3,224
Electrical & electronic engineers - 5,055
Chemical production, planning & quality control engineers - 4,200
Design & development engineers - 1,706
Other engineers & technologists - 2,546
Engineering technicians - 1,878
Electrical & electronic technicians - 2,901
Architectural, town planning, building, civil engineering technicians - 3,078
Other scientific technicians - 6,905
Draught persons - 2,497
Building inspectors & quantity surveyors - 3,203
Marine, insurance & other surveyors - 74
Medical practitioners - 10,105
Pharmacists, pharmacologists, ophthalmic & dispensing opticians - 3,729
Dental practitioners - 1,715
Veterinarians - 1,685
Medical radiographers - 1,203
Physiotherapists & chiropodists - 2,569
Occupational & speech therapists, psychotherapists, other therapists - 5,346
Other health associate professionals - 620
Psychologists, other social/behavioural scientists - 2,614
social workers & probation officers - 5,213
Matrons, house-parents, welfare, community, youth workers - 9,867
Clergy - 3,902
Authors, writers, journalists - 6,096
Artists, commercial/industrial artists, graphic/clothing designers - 9,277
Actors, musicians, entertainers, stage managers, producers, directors - 6,165
Professional athletes & sports officials - 4,734
Information officers, career advisors, vocational guidance specialists - 2,089
vocational, industrial trainers, driving instructors - 7,723
Inspectors of factories, trading standards, other statutory inspectors - 790
Other associate professional & technical occupations - 3,133
Hotel & accommodation managers - 7,836
Restaurant & catering managers - 10,991
Publicans, innkeepers, club managers - 8,518
Travel agency managers - 2,156
Chefs & cooks - 21,966
Administrators of schools and colleges - 955
University, RTC & higher education teachers - 10,973
Secondary & vocational education teachers - 30,124
Primary & nursery education teachers - 31,578
Other teaching professionals - 7,268
Senior managers in national government - 775
Local government officers - 1,841
General administrators in national government - 8,459
Civil Service Executive officers - 5,422
Judges - 197
Environmental health workers, occupational hygienists & safety officers - 3,658
Civil Service administrative officers & assistants - 20,795
Fire service officers - 1,856
Senior police and prison officers - 432
Commissioned officers in armed forces - 1009
Police sergeants (estimate) - 2,200
Army sergeants (estimate) - 2,144
Undertakers, bookmakers, personal service workers - 5,099
Farm owners and managers - 72,048
Railway supervisors (estimate) - 191
Total - 760,379