knowledge worker

What is a knowledge worker and how are their roles different from other workers?

A knowledge worker is an employee whose primary job involves applying expertise, analysis, and judgment rather than performing physical or routine tasks. Software engineers, analysts, attorneys, researchers, consultants, and most modern professional roles fit the definition. Peter Drucker coined the term in 1959 to describe the shift that now dominates the U.S. economy: more than 40% of the workforce works primarily with information.

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