Lower middle class

In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a part of the larger middle class. It includes families and individuals who are not quite as well off as those in the middle or upper middle class. The lower middle class is important because it shows a step up from lower-income groups, but it is not as comfortable as higher parts of the middle class. This group often works in jobs that need training or some education, but they may not earn as much as professionals or business owners. Understanding the lower middle class helps us see how different people live and work in society.

United Kingdom

Main article: Social class in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the lower middle class has historically included office workers like clerks, bookkeepers, estate agents, and teachers. Today, some researchers use a specific social grade, called C1, to describe this group. This grade includes supervisory, clerical, and junior managerial roles.

In the past, the middle and lower middle classes could live in suburbs thanks to new transportation like horse-drawn buses and railways. By the early 2000s, this social group was found evenly across different types of areas, whether suburban, rural, city, or small towns.

Some experts think the lower middle class includes people in lower-level service jobs or who own small businesses. Before the 1960s, when more people started going to university, most in this class did not have a college education.

Members of the lower middle class often speak with local accents, and their voting choices are varied, with minority parties sometimes getting more support from this group.

United States

Main article: American middle class

In American society, the middle class can be split into two or three smaller groups. When split into two, the lower middle class makes up about one third of households. This group is twice as large as the upper middle or managerial class. People in this group often work as lower-level managers, small business owners, or skilled craftsmen. They usually have some college education or a Bachelor's degree and live comfortably. The lower middle class is one of the largest social groups, similar in size to the working class, and it continues to grow.

Sometimes, people talk about the middle class as having three parts. In this way, the lower middle class is similar to what many experts call the working class. Some experts, like sociologist Leonard Beeghley, think the middle class is one big group that includes what others call lower, middle, or upper middle class. This big group makes up about 45% of households.

Main article: Social class in the United States