My boomer dad grew up poor & rural enough he started life with a dirt floor and outhouse, puttered around doing odd & entry-level jobs but nothing that could be called a career until he was 30 (no college, of course), had kids and a divorce and child support before marrying my mom, then finally started entry-level at a railroad and worked his way up. Retired a millionaire, liquid, not counting the paid off house (their houses had all been bought cash since he was 35 or so)

So made or suffered about three “blunders” or catastrophes that’d make life extremely hard now… and his was on easy mode anyway. Five total kids, divorce and tons of expenses, not getting into his career until his 30s, no degree.

We still took a two-week driving or sometimes flying vacation every summer. By the time he was 45 or so our houses were huge and nice. He spent many thousands (when $1,000 was still a lot of money, and not two costco trips…) a year on hobbies.

Retired with more than a million liquid. Despite all that. And a million was still a lot around the year 2000.

It really was different for them. Way, way, way easier.

[edit] oh and my mom quit her federal government job after they got married and never worked a paying job again. That was on one fucking income. A guy with no degree or connections or family money working on the railroad.

Yeah current generations are screwed unless they get lucky or play their cards right or have support from family. In 1950s-1960s America you had to actively try to screw up. I mean you have stories of ex-cons starting over and making a good life while now if you have any kind of record you'd be lucky to get a graveyard shift job stocking shelves at Walmart. In my personal case that is not the problem. I started in 2009 during the last recession and did not get a job in my field. I have a poor work history relative to my capabilities. I have always felt unwanted in the labor force. Fortunately I have had some inheritance and support from family to have a shot at life. It is still mind boggling how structurally stacked against people who get off track or don't start right the system today is versus what it was in the past. In the past companies needed people, they trained people on the job and developed people and career progression was possible for most people. Now there is no long term investment or commitment from either the employee or employer. Employers are looking for people who can builshit customers (because few companies actually make things anymore) or play a regulatory or compliance game. If you're a smart, capable guy or girl without connections or good work history you might as well kiss you hopes of having a professional career in many fields goodbye. The economy just needs people to make enough money to buy things. It is no longer about improving qualitative standards of living. Pensions...goodbye. Long vacations goodbye...unions...what a joke today, just an excuse to skim your paycheck for no protection, job security goodbye.

The reason I think is we outsourced our manufacturing and society simply needs fewer people to produce the output consumers demand.

Also culturally we have given up on employers investing in people for the long term.

Help is not needed and if it is it is not valued because everything is replaceable and successful career people job hop anyway.