Millennials earn 20% less than baby boomers did—despite being better educated

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Millennials are facing a shortfall compared to other generations when it comes to their paychecks.

Overall, millennials earn 20% less than baby boomers did at the same stage of life, according to “The Emerging Millennial Wealth Gap,” a recent report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank New America. Specifically, median earnings for those 18 to 34 are lower than they were in the 1980s, a disparity that was first noted in a 2017 report from the non-profit Young Invincibles. And the flow of today’s paychecks is less predictable due, in part, to the effects of the Great Recession and a rise in contract and freelance positions that may be less consistent in hours and pay.

That’s in spite of overall higher education levels. Nearly 40% of millennials 25 to 37 have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to just a quarter of baby boomers and 30% of Gen X when they were the same age, Pew Research Center found.

These lower wages may lead to long-term problems for this generation, experts say.

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The generational wealth gap has reached “historic proportions,” Cramer says. The average millennial’s wealth in 2016 (ages 23 to 38) was 41% less than those who were at a similar age in 1989, the report says.

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