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Story: Class

Occupations: office worker

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Occupations: office worker

This office worker with his white collar and tie represented a growing proportion of the urban workforce during the 20th century. They did not earn as much money or have the prestige of the high professions, but as sedentary desk workers they received higher prestige and pay than most manual workers.

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Archives New Zealand – Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAQT 6539, A74407

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Class – A middle-class society? – material differences, 1890 to 1970, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/29731/occupations-office-worker (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 15 April 2011.