Quote:
Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen
It considered 558,910 households. There were 129,765 one-person private households. So just over 75% with more than one person in the households. And yes, those households would include single parents - but it makes no sense to exclude them.
If you set up so narrowly that you're now pretty much excluding the entirety of the lower class, what's the point in trying to discuss class at all? I think everyone agrees that dual, full-time earners with either a valuable trade or post-secondary education can get over the $200,000 total income benchmark. If that's Oil Stain's argument, sure everyone agrees. That's not the point though, the point is only 16% of households do so. So we need to stop using qualifiers like "easily make over $200,000" because reality and stats don't back that up.
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Let's say for instance the husband is a welder and makes $160,000 per year, and works in Fort Mac 3 weeks out of every four.
The wife works as a receptionist and makes $35,000 per year.
They have three kids.
That's $195,000.
Is that an upper class family?
I would say that is solidly middle class. The husband is sacrificing work/life balance so the family can get ahead financially, but I wouldn't call that an upper class family and I wouldn't say that they are on easy street.
Compare that to a single computer programmer household without kids that makes $170,000. IMO that programmer is closer to being in the upper class than the aforementioned family.
I think middle class is harder to define now then it was in the 70's when papa worked, mama stayed at home, and they got married at 23.
Household earnings don't fit so neatly into a homogeneous box like they did in 1973.
And I'm not saying that $200,000 per year annual income per year is necessarily easy. I mean, you have to go out and get an education and put time in your career, but it's pretty obtainable for the average Albertan couple if they are motivated and willing to make some sacrifices to get more money.
You can't say that about most places in the world. Here in Alberta, $200,000 per year income between two people is very obtainable for average people if that is what their goal is.
So when I look at middle class earnings in Alberta, I look at whether its possible for average people to obtain those earnings.
A two doctor household earning $500,000 isn't obtainable for most people. Becoming a doctor is exceedingly difficult.
A two teacher household earning $200,000 is something that is obtainable for the average person so I would consider that middle class earnings.