A majority of Americans now identify as working class, with 60% choosing the label in a January 2026 survey analyzed by Pew Research, up from 54% in 2024. The term extends well beyond lower earners: middle-income families earning $51,900 to $155,600, depending on family size and location, identify especially strongly with it, while half of high-income families earning more than $155,600 do the same. Pew says working class has no single definition, encompassing interpretations based on income, education, or blue-collar work such as construction and agriculture. The findings come as financially comfortable middle earners feel increasingly separate from higher earners and more aligned with lower earners in their savings, spending and economic outlook. Median weekly earnings rose 8.4% from the first quarter of 2024 through the first quarter of 2026, exceeding the 5.5% increase in prices over that period, although inflation has outpaced wage growth in recent months. The shrinking middle class, which declined from 61% of the population in 1971 to 51% in 2023, may also be reinforcing the broader identification. Political affiliation matters as well: Steven Shepard, Pew's associate director of political research and a report author, said Republicans are more likely than Democrats to describe themselves as working class when other factors are held broadly equal. Upper-income Republicans are much more likely to use the label than upper-income Democrats. Progressive politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have also embraced an expanded working-class identity through affordability-focused messaging.