This is not true. Those same workers get most or all of their insurance costs covered by the company. Same goes for retirement with 401k plans, etc.
> Not to mention the fact that the American work week is longer and vacation days are rarer.
This is true.
Same with 401(k). Employer match is a nice bonus but it is not enough.
Not enough for what? It's clearly enough for millions to live very comfortably.
Also a completely bizarre use of 401(k)’s which are not available to most citizens and are highly volatile.
Compared to the rest of the world the US spends more individually on healthcare & gets less. It’s average retirement savings are amongst the lowest in the developed world!
Hand waving away like you’re doing is not supported by the facts.
It’s a shame because that attitude is what is keeping America from doing better.
Anecdote, not data, but it has come up enough and this background detail isnt the author TRYING to persuade me, so it has been very effective at doing so nonetheless.
The most important thing to change is stopping illegal immigration. Either allow more people in and give them equal standing in the job market to citizens or don't allow them in at all.
And of course doing that would reduce the incentive to come here and work illegally...
As for the middle and upper middle class, taking home more of your income is only part of the story. I don't have statistics on this, but I am sure that much of that take-home pay is offset by higher medical costs and the need for more retirement savings. Not to mention the fact that the American work week is longer and vacation days are rarer.