"The second example works only because what is getting worn out during work in today’s businesses are cognitive resources. Coming home from a computerized workplace working on spreadsheets does not affect your ability to creatively wield a hammer and a saw."

I work in a Further Education college in the UK (like a community college in US). We are seeing a lot of people paying full cost for evening/weekend courses on dress making, hairdressing/barbering, welding, decorating &c. Might try a questionnaire to see where the students are coming from in new year. Hypothesis: a lot of badge folk.