It definitely isn't the best time to be alive. I'm not sure if times were ever ideal, but I believe that in the past it was easier to afford a more comfortable lifestyle, especially for families. Nowadays, when two people are barely saving any money aside, it's practically impossible to stand on their feet and have children that you can provide for.
I don't believe that there's any sector except IT and technology that are in a better position right now, but both of the two aren't feasible for the average worker. The service section will always need working hands, but it's common to face poor salaries and unpleasant working conditions.
The problem is that the life we live now is increasingly worsening economic conditions and it is quite difficult for us to get a decent job if we don't have the skills. An ideal life that can fulfill daily needs is sufficient for some people because not everyone can achieve a luxurious lifestyle. Without work we cannot provide for our families and this is caused by the economic chaos we are facing and the unemployment rate is also increasing every day. Crime also increases when people cannot earn money for their needs because people can no longer think clearly when their lives become increasingly chaotic.
Even if they are not better than the IT and technology sectors, at least they can make money even if the income is small. For me it is better to earn a small amount of money in a stable manner than not earning anything and in my area this kind of work is still a part of being able to meet the needs of people who have not so big responsibilities.
The main concern is that technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, going to college and getting a degree won't cut it anymore. You need to constantly be advancing your skills and keep on acquiring new knowledge. With that being said, it's quite stressful to think that we're easily replaceable. I studied economics and IT isn't exactly my field. Statistics is my strong point so I'm considering to be invested into data analysis, an advancing sector which is also usually offered remotely.
The past few years after COVID-19 have been the absolute worst; everything keeps rising—petrol, daily groceries, electricity, housing—to the point where you're barely making ends meet.
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how do you deal with it? How do you stay optimistic?
I live in a country which does not treat their people like worthless livestock. If I were to lose all my money, my housing and my job, then my country would cover my health insurance, housing, living costs and even free mental health therapy. So I would not go into a state of desperation just because I have fallen on financially hard times. Personally, I am all for socialist democracy. I would rather give up half of my paycheck and never have to worry about having third-world, stone-age survival inconveniences because unconditional greed is considered to be a good thing for some reason... But most people barely know the difference between socialism and communism and they associate anything which might implicate fairness and sharing as communist (I am against communism. Because it provably has never worked).
You're lucky, they wouldn't even bother if you die of hunger here, not to mention how many casualties have been caused by government ignorance and corruption.