Many users online have expressed shock at how difficult it is to find a job, with some even saying it’s hard to find entry-level desk jobs.
trading economics reports that as of March 2023, there are approximately 9.6 million job vacancies remaining in the United States. Ensuring an adequate salary to live comfortably is an increasing concern among citizens living in more difficult times. can afford to buy a house more than during the Great Depression.
This is due to the exponential growth of home ownership in the US and many other reasons. Cost of living It’s rising to some of the worst inflation America has seen in the last 40 years.
As a result, misunderstandings are widespread among different generations of America’s working class: between “baby boomers” versus “millennials” and “Gen Z.”
A TikToker named Cat (@kata morning) compared the cost of living enjoyed by her “baby-boomer” parents with the cost of living she must expect to have when she graduated from college and entered the workforce, and found that her parents were more economically and economically viable. He said he was surprised at how much easier it was. .
In her video, Kat says that inflation-adjusted baby boomers earn more than twice as much as the average college graduate today. Moreover, their housing costs were less than half what someone would pay for the same house or apartment today.
Kat says this fundamental misconception about inflation and the value of money causes controversy among different generations. She says she has no idea how to come to terms with the relatively low salary she expects to earn after graduation.
@kata morning Sorry, I’m just sick of people projecting their experiences from 1980 onto me and thinking it’s so relevant to today’s reality. #College #student #post college #work #employment #baby boomers ♬ Original Sound – Cat
After comparing various economic factors then and now in screenshots, Kat laments the idea of baby boomers that young people simply have “high expectations.”
“I think baby boomers have a really hard time conceptualizing this because they didn’t have to fight for jobs,” says Kat. “They were on the rise of technology, they were on the rise of big business, capitalism was booming, and they looked at us and thought they were entitled. I’m not saying they’re right or wrong, they just don’t know and it’s not their fault.”
She ends the video on a despairing note, emphasizing that simply graduating with a degree is not enough for a person to live comfortably because the nature of income and the job market have changed so much. increase.
“I think that if you go to college, you deserve to earn enough money to live comfortably. “Regardless of your major, whether you go to college or not, you deserve to live comfortably.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Cat via a comment on TikTok.
One commenter said inflation is rarely brought up in conversations about salaries and raises for job seekers today.
“Well, they never take inflation into account when talking about wages!!” they shared. “Additionally, far fewer people go to college than they used to, so they can now demand higher salaries.”
Others said “baby boomers” routinely hear comments containing references to inflation.
“But at the same time, ‘I remember when movie tickets were $1’ and ‘I could fill the tank for $10,’ so there’s inflation,” wrote one user.
Another said, “Wages are not keeping up with inflation, which is infuriating.” According to Money, categorically correct.com.
Another wondered why a law could not be enacted to ensure that corporate salaries had to be indexed to inflation, saying, “Why can’t we sign a law requiring companies to raise wages with inflation?” ?” is written.
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*First published: May 7, 2023 4:06 PM CDT
Jack Alban
Jack Alban is a freelance journalist for the Daily Dot covering trending human interest/social media stories and how real people react to them. He’s always trying to incorporate evidence-based research, current events, and facts related to these stories to create not-so-average viral posts.