Clerk

This article is about office workers for private companies and government agencies. For other uses, including government posts known asclerk,seeClerk (disambiguation).

Bob Cratchit,the clerk ofEbeneezer ScroogeinA Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens.

Aclerkis awhite-collar workerwho conductsrecord keepingas well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in aretailenvironment. The responsibilities ofclerical workerscommonly includerecord keeping,filing, staffing service counters, screening callers, and other administrative tasks.InCity of Londonlivery companies,the clerk is thechief executive officer.

History and etymology

The wordclerkis derived from the Latinclericusmeaning "cleric"or"clergyman",which is thelatinisationof theGreekκληρικός(klērikos) from a word meaning a "lot" (in the sense of drawing lots) and hence an "apportionment" or "area of land".

The association derived from medieval courts, where writing was mainly entrusted toclergybecause mostlaymencould not read. In this context, the wordclerkmeant "scholar".Even today, the termclerk regulardesignates a type of cleric (one living life according to arule). The cognate terms in some languages, notablyKlerkin Dutch, became – at the end of the nineteenth century – restricted to a specific, fairly low rank in theadministrativehierarchy.

United States

American clerical office supervisor at work. (1992)

Office clerk at work. (1992)

Clerical workers are the largest occupational group in theUnited States.In 2004, there were 3.1 million general office clerks,1.5 million office administrative supervisors and 4.1 million secretaries.Clerical occupations often do not require a college degree, though some college education or 1 to 2 years in vocational programs are common qualifications. Familiarity with office equipment and certain software programs is also often required. Employers may provide clerical training.In 2006, the median salary for clerks was $23,000, while the national median income for workers age 25 or older was $33,000.Median salaries ranged from $22,770 for general office clerks to $34,970 for secretaries and $41,030 for administrative supervisors. Clerical workers are consideredworking classby Americansociologistssuch as William Thompson, Joseph Hickey or James Henslin as they perform highly routinized tasks with relatively little autonomy.SociologistDennis Gilbert,argues that the white and blue collar divide has shifted to a divide between professionals, including some semi-professionals, and routinized white collar workers.White collar office supervisors may be consideredlower middle classwith some secretaries being located in that part of the socio-economic strata where the working and middle classes overlap.

See also

• Clerks (film)
• Clerk baronets
• Clerk family
• Clerk (surname)
• Clerk of works
• Court clerk
• Law clerk
• Legal clerk
• Barristers' clerk
• Lord Justice Clerk
• Patent clerk
• Municipal clerkor town clerk
• Clerk in holy orders
• Receptionist
• Pink collar
• Secretaries