White-collar professions in Japan experiencing a decline in appeal as more individuals opt for work in construction industries instead.
Skip the rat race of corporate life and step into the world of high-paying blue-collar professions! The times have changed, and you no longer have to sacrifice a Hannibal Lecter-level paying job for job security. Sure, the financial sector and top-tier trading firms might offer a decent salary, but as Shukan Gendai suggests, you can find the big bucks in the building trades and other blue-collar professions.
These days, skilled workers can rake in the dough and enjoy a certain level of freedom. According to YouTuber Shingo Inoue, once-dismissed "3K" jobs (you know, dirty, difficult, and dangerous) have modernized, and workers now enjoy better working conditions than ever before.
Inoue himself started as a white-collar corporate drone, but he found the nine-to-five grind stifling. His passion for construction work, which he discovered during his student years, led him to a five-year stint as a salaried construction worker before going independent seven years ago. Now, he owns a cleaning and protection business, which he admits can be mundane but offers an increasing income year after year.
"If you work hard at it and play your cards right, after the first three to five years, your annual income will exceed 10 million yen," Inoue reassures us. And starting wages? In the construction trade, they're comparable to average white-collar jobs, with some experts stating they surpass them after a few years.
But what kinds of jobs are we talking about here? Shukan Gendai provides a list, including construction worker, carpenter, and demolition worker, to name a few. If you're thinking of jumping ship, consider the example of a 40-year-old interior construction worker who generates 50 million yen in business turnover annually, keeping about half as profit.
Takahiro Suzuki, a management strategy consultant, notes that wage levels in most business sectors have stagnated over the past 15 years. However, in the construction sector, where there's a shortage of workers, subcontractors are now in a position to set their prices. In other words, blue-collar jobs can offer ample rewards for your effort and expertise.
In the end, it seems that blue-collar careers are no longer synonymous with back-breaking labor and poverty-level wages. With the right skills and ambition, you can make a killing (literally) in the building trades or other blue-collar professions. So, if you're itching for a change, it might be time to dust off your tool belt and say goodbye to the monotony of white-collar life.
- In Japan, one can explore high-paying blue-collar professions like construction, carpentry, and demolition work, as suggested by Shukan Gendai.
- Working in the construction industry can lead to an annual income exceeding 10 million yen, according to YouTuber Shingo Inoue.
- Skilled workers in blue-collar professions, such as construction, can earn wages comparable to or even surpassing average white-collar jobs after a few years.
- Takahiro Suzuki, a management strategy consultant, notes that wage levels in most business sectors have remained stagnant, but in the construction sector, where there's a worker shortage, subcontractors can set their prices due to high demand.
- Education and self-development can play vital roles in securing good-paying blue-collar jobs, as demonstrated by Shingo Inoue, who transitioned from a white-collar corporate drone to a successful business owner in the construction industry.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially disrupt and transform the job market, but for now, blue-collar professions like construction and trades continue to offer plentiful opportunities for jobs and personal growth.
