Is the American middle class really dead? Or is that a meme?

No, it's just in the process of shrinking. It will continue to shrink until you have only the rich and the poor.

>>1554297
Kind of.

It's true. The gov't is partially to blame, but it's also a natural cycle. When you take certain industries/people exploiting the system, and combine that with a higher cost of living and dwindling need for workers, you get a hemorrhaging middle class.

my folks were able to move out immediately after high school and college and secure decent paying jobs w/ benefits rather effortlessly.

some of my buddies still live at home. half of them have jobs that don't even have schedules or vacation time.

Pretty much every sector of the economy that is growing quickly outside of tech is low skilled labor.

>>1554321
>my folks were able to move out immediately after high school

>some of my buddies still live at home

Sorry, I didn't really get that. So half did really good and half really bad?

>>1554329
His parents got cushy jobs with little effort and could move out and start a family young, whereas some of his friends still live at home.
Iirc 50% of 25yr-olds still live at home now.

>>1554297

Yes. Yes it is.

>>1554628

A meme or dead?

>>1554297
>401k now very few jobs have pensions

>Buying power weakening while jobs don't change much even with inflation

>>1554371

Oy vey. I often get told that millenials have it far worse than boomers considering jobs.

>>1554297
Dying rather. It's because of free trade. Trying to grow or prosper under free trade is a lot like trying to bake a cake with the oven door open.