Wiktionary
a. (context mainly UK English) (alternative spelling of gray-collar English)
Wikipedia
Grey-collar refers to the balance of employed people not classified as white- or blue collar. It is used to refer to occupations that incorporate some of the elements of both blue- and white-collar, and generally are in between the two categories in terms of income-earning capability.
Examples of grey-collar industries:
- Police officers, nurses, and Emergency medical services
- Farming, fishing, forestry, and other forms of agribusiness
- Health care, elderly care, child care, and the personal service sector
- Protective services and security
- Food preparation and the catering industry
- High tech technicians
- Skilled trades, technicians, etc.
- Typists, stenographers, and paralegals
Grey-collar workers often have associate degrees from a community college in a particular field. They are unlike blue-collar workers in that blue-collar workers can often be trained on the job within several weeks whereas grey-collar workers already have a specific skill set.
The field which most recognizes the diversity between these two groups is that of human resources and the insurance industry. These different groups must be insured differently for liability as the potential for injury is different.