Prices go up and wages don’t budge…

That seems to be the story over the past several years and frankly, a lot of folks are fed up about it.

A TikTokker named Freddie posted a video and asked viewers to ponder an interesting question…“Is $50 an hour the new middle class?”

Freddie added, “I know that sounds so outrageous to say, but I almost think it’s necessary for people to live with [this] cost of living.”

He went on to say, “What’s bizarre is that the hourlys are not matching up at all. There are people in fast food joints with no experience that can get started for $16 an hour, but yet there’s job postings where they want a bachelor’s or master’s degree starting you off at $17 an hour.”

Freddie said that he thinks $17 an hour is actually minimum wage, even though the official federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25.

Freddie explained, “That, in my opinion, is minimum wage. That is $2,300 a month after taxes. Rent is two grand, groceries is a grand, childcare is, like, two grand. Not to mention everything else. Like, $2,300, people cannot survive on, and that’s what they’re starting bachelor’s and master’s degree people on? What?”

Freddie also said, “Even if you work your way up to $35 an hour, it’s still barely enough to get by, it’s still barely enough to get by. You’re not going to be able to buy a house on $35 an hour. So, that’s what’s out of whack, even more than inflation.”

Check out his video.

@fmsmith319

Is $50 an hour the new middle class?

♬ original sound – Freddie Smith

Here’s how folks reacted on TikTok.

One person shared how they feel…

Another viewer piled on and made us even more uneasy.

And this individual said that the dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it used to.

People are hurting, that’s for sure.

Let’s hope that inflation comes down sooner rather than later.