We've been in something like a depression for a long time in my opinion. Educated people on the West Coast and Northeastern Coast have been doing pretty darned good in recent years. I define recent from the perspective of 96 to about now. That's when I saw my paychecks inflate. But, I rented out my spare room to people not as well educated and got to see how their paychecks stagnated and how few opportunities there are for people who only have the willingness to work hard and reliably. Also, in the Midwest, jobs that paid more than crap were pretty hard to come by in general these past fifteen years or so. Meanwhile, the cost of living on the coasts in metro areas with opportunities went through the roof. Philadelphia's been an island of stability, but that's more because Philly's been kind of an island of stagnation. The recent periods of great economic expansion have left a lot of people wondering where their payout was because commodities of labor have changed dramatically over previous decades.
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