Every business tries to maximize profits and reduce expenses. Recessions lead executives to take actions to preserve profit margins (or at least minimize the reduction of profit margins). Tech improvements allow businesses to reduce headcount. Ergo, anticipating a decline in white collar jobs is a reasonable prediction.

The pandemic reveals that certain types of jobs have a level below which further reductions adversely affects profitability and customer experience (retail, hospitality, transportation, etc.). Ergo, white collar jobs seem more ripe for reduction. We've seen this before -- the 21st Century is not unique in its assault on the great White Collar middle.

For every employee, the goal is to acquire skills that enable that employee to provide marketable value that can "sold" (but not transferred) to others. This is why the business of each and every employee is truly the business of being that person. It's not all that complicated.