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

I don't think this is the right place for the answers to be discussed thoughtfully but the first question that comes to mind is how these data were controlled for the impact of marriage on income.

People who analyze salary data have long noticed the linkage between higher incomes and marriage in men. Whether this is a cause an effect relationship is unclear so far as I can tell: 1) If you think the higher salary is a byproduct of intrinsic behaviors or personality characteristics (that have an effect on work habits) then perhaps men who are responsible enough to marry are destined to be higher earners because they tend to be more diligent and goal oriented and less consumed by dating etc. compared to single men 2) If you think the higher salary is a byproduct of the institution of marriage then you would be inclined to think men who are married are working harder to earn more money because of the pressure placed upon them to earn more and support their family.

Whichever (if either) of those answers is most of the truth it is interesting that a similar effect is not seen in women. Married women and single women do not noticeably differ in their salaries. There are some complicated dynamics which relate to sex probably involved but what does affect salary for gay men is apparently their (typical) choice not to have children. Gay men tend to out-earn straight men which seems to be a byproduct of their ability (if they choose) to work longer hours and have fewer distractions associated with child rearing (which is still a major time factor in life even for the person who is not the primary care giver).

Anyway, to return to the start of the thread and the impact of marriage: given that the rates of marriage in young people have continued to fall (especially since the baby boomer generation) the variable that needs to be ruled out is the changes in environment or behavior that are associated with decreased rates of marriage in young people. My suspicion is that a major component of this change is not just the post world war 2 industrial boom but also the altered social behaviors at home which are affecting the behaviors of people in the workplace.

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So when you're struggling paycheck to paycheck and can't contribute to a 401k, how does that help?

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I dunno. How many hours a week are they working? Do they have 1 job or 2? Hell, for us, 40 hrs a week are warmup hours. I hit that in 3 days with 4 days left in the week for overtime.

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I dunno. How many hours a week are they working? Do they have 1 job or 2? Hell, for us, 40 hrs a week are warmup hours. I hit that in 3 days with 4 days left in the week for overtime.

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Yes, when I was a roughneck I too worked 12 hours shifts 7 days a week. We once worked 64 days straight days without a day off.


Plenty of milennials work very hard. Thanks for your input though.

Harder can be smarter at time and a half, double time and holiday time.

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Many complain about their lot in life

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This is where they reveal lack of character. Funny though, the millennials who post here seem to be the absolute worst. Outside of th Slave, most I know have their act together.

Powerless people who lose at life blame others for their own shortcomings.