I would theorize that the higher a percentage of a society is that is exposed to higher maths the better off that society as a whole is in the long run.
I got the impression from the article that someone like a plumber really doesn't need higher maths for everyday life but in reality everyday life for him/her is plumbing. The better plumbers are going to be so because of their better understanding of plumbing because of the related math. Understanding angles, line sizes and flow capacity, system volume and pressure, etc. are a part of everyday life for them.
The same is true for mechanics, electricians, machinists, carpenters, etc., the many average people working blue collar careers. Their everyday life is what they do for a living and the better they are at the applicable maths they better they are at their trade. How many of them knew what their career path would turn out to be in their early years of school? How many could have followed their eventual career path as successfully without an early maths foundation to build on?
I can't really seem to think of many careers where an understanding of higher maths would not be a benefit. That said, it would seem the more mathematically educated our workforce is as a whole the better off our society is for all of us.