Jaws have dropped at a viral video of a man’s “blue collar hands,” revealing how 52 years of labor have truly left their mark.
A viral TikTok video posted by Raylissa Sandoval, showed her grandpa, Raymond, aged 65, in short sleeves—revealing hands that are significantly darker than the rest of his body.
In the clip, Sandoval expressed her surprise at the sight of her grandfather’s hands, which are deeply tanned from years of working in labor and construction jobs. Raymond’s hands, worn from digging, laying concrete, and traffic flagging, bear the visible imprint of his hard work.
“He has literal gloves,” Sandoval told Newsweek. “I’ve always seen him in work clothes, and he’s always working. Even on his days off, he still wears them. I also don’t see him often because I live far away, so when I finally saw his hands, I was shocked and just decided to post it.”
@raylexxa/TikTok
“He’s been working since he was 17,” Sandoval explained. “[He] started in the fields then moved to the union somewhere in his 30s.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not explicitly categorize jobs as “blue collar” or “white collar” in their official statistics, but there is evidence that workers in traditionally blue collar roles are seeing more job opportunities and demand.
Since mid-2023, job postings on Indeed for roles like software development and marketing have dropped, while construction and nursing roles remain in high demand.
Despite this, there is evidence that Generation Z is pulling back from blue collar roles.
A new report from ADP Research Institute found that while the percentage of workers aged 20 to 24 in traditionally blue-collar roles rose from 2019 to 2022, this trend has plateaued since 2022.
This has been blamed on factors like the increasing influence of AI, concerns over job security, and Generation Z’s demand for purpose and stability as some shift back to more white-collar roles.
Sandoval’s video, which is captioned “Blue collar hands,” has gained over 2 million views on TikTok and has left viewers stunned.
“I thought he still had a long sleeve on,” TikTok user EN said, while Allie wrote: “The way my jaw dropped.”
“Nothing could have prepared me for,” said TikToker Ronnie & Reggie in the comments.
Sandoval said that she and her grandparents are enjoying the viral moment.
“I very much enjoyed the reaction of others, seeing how many people can relate or were just as surprised as I was,” she said. “I’ve definitely kept my grandparents in the loop on the views and comments, and they also enjoy the reactions of others.”
