I’ve always found the labor participation rate to be a better source than U-4. The latter is convenient, because once the system has beaten you down, you disappear from the statistics. It’s a very clear indicator that “if you’re not willing to work for less money than you need to survive, you hold no value to society.”
Yeah and this would not even cover the underemployed who make over 26k a year but can’t meet costs.
As a point of perspective, the last time I made less than $26K was in 2003. Totally doable when rent is $400.
last time (well before now) I made less than 26k I was living with family. Last time I saw rent at $400 was in a college town (where rent was cheap) in the 90’s. and not the late nineties.
I was in Charlottesville in 2003, and it was very much a college town with that level of rent available. I had a cute little utilities-included cottage as a copyed.
