In manufacturing, employment of supervisors is expected to decline slightly as the trend continues for supervisors to supervise more workers. This reflects the increasing use of computers to meet supervisory responsibilities such as scheduling, as well as the effects of worker empowerment programs that relieve supervisors of some of the more time-consuming tasks. In construction and most other nonmanufacturing industries, employment of blue-collar worker supervisors is expected to rise along with the employment of the workers they supervise. Because of their skill and seniority, blue-collar worker supervisors often are protected from layoffs during a recession. However, some in the highly cyclical construction industry may be laid off when construction activity declines.
Most supervisors earn significantly more than their subordinates.
While most blue-collar workers are paid by the hour, most supervisors receive an annual salary. Some supervisors receive extra pay when they work overtime. Related Occupations Other workers with supervisory duties include those who supervise professional, technical, sales, clerical, and service workers. Some of these are retail store or department managers, sales managers, clerical supervisors, bank officers, head tellers, hotel managers, postmasters, head cooks, head nurses, and surveyors. These files are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.