
The middle class has been stagnant for decades.
Average pay barely budges, while the cost of daily necessities keeps skyrocketing.
Inflation – health care cost, childcare, food, electricity, gas, insurance, cell phone bills, cable and internet bills, credit card interest and on and on. The rising cost of living is harming everyone.
We work hard, but our paychecks don’t stretch as far as they used to. Prices for everything from housing to healthcare keep going up, but our wages are stagnant.
The Middle Class is Being Squeezed and it Sucks.
We Can’t Keep Up – Nevermind Buying a Home or Saving for Retirement
The middle class can’t keep up. We’re barely surviving – nevermind buying a home or saving for retirement.
Prices are rising astronomically and wages just can’t keep up. It’s outrageous how hard it is to save for retirement, buy a home, or simply just get by these days.
We work harder and harder and yet seem to be farther from our goals than ever before. Time has become a costly commodity and with the rising cost of living, budgeting for even basic necessities feels more like a marathon than an everyday task.
This will not end well.
History has shown that when the middle class is hit hard, so too are their opportunities to save and invest. Their chances of advancing economically become harder or even impossible. This puts a strain on our entire economy as well as on individuals who find themselves without the means to cover basic necessities.
When the economic opportunities of the middle class become increasingly limited, it can lead to a situation in which violence and revolution are unavoidable. The growing gap between the wealthy and poor can create an atmosphere of frustration and anger that often leads people to take drastic measures to demand a bigger share of the pie.
In many countries, the middle class has already been decimated. This is happening in the United States as well. Policymakers and business leaders must understand the importance of helping to keep the middle class alive and thriving.
The Rich Get Richer While the Poor Get Poorer
It is becoming increasingly clear that those at the top are hoarding more and more of the wealth while the poorest face more and more hardship. In large part it’s out modern economy, where the successful get the bulk of the rewards. This “sucess to the succesfull loop” works to the disadvantage of those who are stuck in poverty.

Some of the disparity can also be attributed to extremely lopsided systems, such as taxation laws, that favor those making large salaries and punishing everyone else. The finacial sector generally, and hedge funds with their carried interest loophole take a huge portion of the money in return for making life worse for so many of us. Why do we reward a financial system based on fraud?
It’s an infuriating system that does nothing to even out the playing field between different classes within society.
We need to align the incentives of the private sector with society at large.
We need to demand real change, starting with better wages for those making the least as well as improvements to education and stronger communities that help everyone suceed. Everyone needs access to upward mobility.
Those in power must do more to construct a fair and equitable system for all individuals, no matter their financial situation.
Everyone needs to have the ability to achieve long-term success. It must be addressed immediately before it worsens even further.
So Why is the Middle Class Getting Squeezed?

There are all kinds of reasons, but for the main reason just look at the incentives.
We’ve got society set up to reward exploiting every last dime that isn’t nailed down.
The private sector has an army of bean counters and conversion rate optimizers and algorithms devoted to figuring out how to charge us more and more and paying employees and suppliers as little as possible.
We only do things that make money.
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We Only Do Things That Make Money
The largest companies are pulling in record profits, and it all pools at the top.
Rising Costs and Stagnant Wages
The middle class of this country has been getting the short end of the stick for decades. Costs have skyrocketed, corporate profits have soared, but wages have been pretty much static. It’s unjust and it’s unacceptable. People are struggling to make ends meet while executives rake in millions. This isn’t fair or right, and something needs to be done to ease the burden on hard-working, honest folks doing what they can to try and make it in life.

Companes have us in a stranglehold
They collude to keep prices as high as they can while they cut spending as much as possible. It’s a vicious cycle that keeps people from being able to break out of the middle class and make real progress in their lives.

These massive companies have us by the you know what. The biggest industries are comprised of a few players that buy or crush anything resembling competition.
Look at cable companies.
Have any of them invested in any way to bring costs down?
No.
The bills just go higher and higher and wages don’t keep up
But they made some cool remotes that can hear you talk!
What if I don’t want a cool remote? What if I just want cheap internet?
Is that an option?
Of course not!
While the middle class keeps spinning its wheels, stuck in an inescapable rut, we watch more and more wealth aggregating at the top.
Employees Should Get A Share of the Profits

We need to demand transparency into how companies pay employees
Yes a CEO who chooses to work 80 hours a week should deserves to make more than a janitor drinking on the job. But how much more? What is the right pay ratio?
There’s no real answer to that, but we get closer to agreement by understanding the situation. Consumers need to demand more information on how companies treat their employees, starting with pay transparency.
In addition to fairer wages, companies should be investing in their employees, helping them learn new skills, and providing them with a path to advancement.
We Need All Hands On Deck to Help the Middle Class
It is outrageous that the wealthy continue to receive tax cuts while the middle class is largely ignored. Time and time again, policies are implemented that don’t give middle-class households the same types of benefits as those at higher income levels.
Every day, hardworking members of the middle class struggle to make ends meet and they deserve real, tangible support from our government and business leaders. Serious changes need to be made in order for the middle class to receive a substantial boost in income. We need real leadership.
The economy should be structured in such a way that anyone can suceed if they put in the hard work. Everyone needs to have access to upward mobility. The current system is rigged against those at the lower end of the economic scale and it needs to change. We need policies that offer people better wages and more opportunities for growth.
Growing the Middle Class
We can start by implementing policies that focus on making life easier, not harder, on this important segment of society.
We need better wages, more affordable housing, and accessible healthcare.
It’s outrageous that we still live in a society where workers fail to earn a living wage, housing is increasingly becoming more expensive and healthcare options are out of reach. How can families even hope to support themselves when wages don’t cover the cost of basic necessities?
We need bold measures to ensure everyone has access to these fundamental resources. It’s an injustice that must be addressed.
And it’s better for all of society anyway. A strong middle class is the backbone of any healthy economy, and policies need to be implemented that enable everyone to have a chance at success. We spend so much time and money on the safety net, police, health care and other bandaids that don’t really address the underlying problem: a lack of real opportunity in the middle class.
It’s time to invest in our nation’s people, not just the economy. This is why better wages, more affordable housing, support for parents, and accessible healthcare need to become priorities in our country today.
Investing in educational opportunities, job training, and career advancement will give those stuck on the outskirts of financial security a chance to make something of their lives.
The middle class is being squeezed from all sides, and it’s only getting worse. The wealthy are getting wealthier while the poor are getting poorer, and something needs to be done to help the middle class.
We need to make sure that the middle class can continue to thrive in America.