Low wage work in the US

Thanks for the enlightening link, HM2Viking. It hit home for me.

My parents have fallen into the vortex of low-wage employment over the past few years. My mother, who worked at the same factory for nearly 25 years for a living wage, is now earning $8.00 hourly at a nationally-known retail store. My father is earning $12 hourly at a major home improvement store that everyone has heard of before. Mother had a liver transplantation surgery 6 years ago, and her anti-rejection meds cost nearly $1,000 per month. She has no insurance, and my father's health coverage is skimpy.

Mother and Father are still fairly young (ages 50 and 51), but their downfall is that they attained no education beyond a high school diploma. Therefore, their resume and experiences look the same as every other Joe Blow in existence, which makes things difficult when attempting to find good jobs. Back when they were young adults in the middle 1970s, they could land decently-paying entry level jobs with benefits and retirement plans. However, times have changed forever, and these good jobs are disappearing from our market.

Things may only become worse for my parents, because ageism exists. It becomes increasingly harder for many workers over the age of 40 to find work, especially if you are competing in the fiercely competitive entry-level job market with only general skills and education.

ageism does exist but like a lot of things it is difficult to prove
for someone living at theirs parents home and going to school a job like this is good for pocket money, if you are trying to maintain a home it is heartbreaking
does transplant meds come under an umbrella of some sort? this type of med would be difficult for someone with an adequate income

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm one of those 40 million....