Why maths doesn't always add up at work

Bankers and accountants aren't the only ones who use maths on a daily basis, high-end blue collared workers use it the most. Picture: ThinkStock Source: Supplied

• High-end blue collared workers the biggest maths users
• Less than a quarter of workers use complex maths skills
• Clerical, sales staff use maths the least in their roles

UNLESS you work in banking or a finance-related role, chances are you wouldn't expect to use mathematics much in your day-to-day job.

So it may come as a surprise to discover the roles that actually involve the most mathematics aren't what you would expect, and less than a quarter of workers actually use maths for complex calculations.

In fact, it turns out it's not just accountants and bankers which need to know their numbers. Blue-collared workers are among the biggest users of maths in their daily jobs.

Northeastern University sociologist Michael Handel found most workers in the United States weren’t actually doing very much complicated maths at all.

He surveyed 2300 workers across two separate two-year periods - from 2004 to 2006, and again between 2007 and 2009.

His results revealed that high-skilled blue-collar workers, such as those in construction trades and mechanics, were actually the highest daily users of maths, while those in lower paid white collar roles such as clerks and sales workers used it the least.

High level white collar works, such as those in management, technical, and professional occupations were the next biggest math users.

The sociologist’s findings also suggest that high-skilled blue collar workers are also using more advanced maths skills than white-collared workers.

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