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Friday, November 02, 2018

The American Dream Shatters: The Death Of The Middle Class

Middle-class families, which used to be the backbone of the United States economy are becoming poorer. Despite the constant bombardment of news of a “healthy economy,” 62% of middle-class families struggle to afford a basic middle-class lifestyle.

Even though the unemployment rate that has reached a 50-year low of 3.7 percent, most jobs across the U.S. don’t support a middle-class or better lifestyle, leaving many Americans struggling, according to a new study. When factoring in both wages and the cost of living in the metro area where the job is located, 62% struggle to provide a middle-class lifestyle according to the study by Third Way, a think tank that leans center-left on the political spectrum.

“There’s an opportunity crisis in the country,” says Jim Kessler, vice president of policy for Third Way and editor of the report.

“It explains some of the economic uneasiness and, frankly, the political uneasiness” even amid the most robust U.S. economy and labor market since before the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This article is correct. My husband and I are recently retired and considered middle class. Well we just sold our home because if anything happens to one of the other could not afford to live in our home. Thanks to Mr. Obama who is now or will be worth 240 million. We moved into a condo (basically an apartment) but we own it (should say bank owns). Now we will be able to maintain a good living but it is far less than most middle class. Call it not planning ahead if you will but we did. It's the sign of the times.