Underemployed, underpaid workers are not necessarily making an active choice to be underemployed and underpaid.
Another example of the impact of student debt (Fortune) [$64k debt, $166k/year income in upstate NY]
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Agreed. She is making an active choice to stay in such a position, however, when other options may be available, even if less satisfying. Millions of Americans do not have that choice; they lack high school or further education and have few opportunities. Luckily, college grads have more.
Which âsheâ? Is this referencing @2inanddoneâs daughter?
Generally it would refer to any college grad making minimum wage unable to service $240/month in student loan debt absent extraordinary circumstances.
While I agree this couple really isnât a representative example of struggling college gradâs Iâm not nearly as put off by them as so many on here are. In 7 years they graduated college with significant debt, went through a pandemic and bought a house all on a much smaller budget than what they make now. They should be give themselves some credit. It is daunting when you start paying all your own expenses like health insurance and retirement. Most donât have anything like a pension and are entirely self funded. I also can see how an 800 sq ft 2 bedroom house is difficult to bring a baby home to when the main bread winner is dependent on remote working. Sure now they can really make some big payments and pay down their debt but most people are a major home repair away from blowing through their savings. I think the article was trying to cause outrage rather than sympathy for this couple. Itâs really just click bait and reads as sensationalism.
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Exactly. And that is the reason why many are âput offâ.
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Itâs a click bait but the situation is common. Her problem is that her husband makes not enough to provide for family if she stops working for child birth and to take care for the baby after. Unfortunately itâs a common problem these days when many women out earning their partners by a lot. If she takes six months off their family will be in poverty. Of course she is scared to have kids because she is the main breadwinner.
Problem? Seriously? 90% of my friends from college out earn their spouses - half of them have stay at home dads. Why exactly is this a problem? The main breadwinner has children every single day. Perhaps oneâs notions on typical family are the problem here.
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At $166k per year combined, surely they could save up to buffer any medically required leave for her, especially if they continue to spend like they did on their recent previous significantly lower ($103k per year combined) income. But, beyond the medically required leave, her lower paid husband could become the primary child care parent, while she still brings in $125k per year. Since she works at home remotely, she can still have plenty of contact with the infant, but delegate all of the child care work (e.g. changing diapers, taking the kid to medical checkups, etc.) to her husband.
Would this even be a question for a husband with a $125k per year job and a wife with a $41k per year job?
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Delete.
We donât know that to be true as we have no info on Hubbyâs work situation. (The cynic in me says the author was purposely silent on this issue as it didnât support her narrative.) For example, hubby maybe easily employable at a good salary, but is WFH trying to start a new business. But if spouse did get pregnant H could easily get a higher-salaried job and put the entrepreneurial itch on hold for awhile.
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But how is it being used in this case??
Already answered. Back to the topic
What is confusing is its getting hard to tell if posters are talking about the individuals in the article (the wife now makes $125K, not minimum wage), responding to postersâ kids current work situations, or are opining about women in the workplace in general. Sometimes, for example, a family may relocate for one spouseâs job, and the other has to take whatever they can get, temporary or otherwise. And who knows, in the case of this article, if the husband got laid off and took a lower paying job, or is working in a field that in his area doesnât pay very well. For example, a beginner teachersâ salary might not be very high. Just hoping they pay down their loan as well as save fore family and/or retirement. It should be budgeted in appropriately. But no shaming people for the jobs they are in. It may or may not be a choice.
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If the articleâs husband were at teacher, wouldnât they mention that he may be eligible for loan forgiveness by working for a non-profit? I wouldnât assume that.
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He could be a preschool/daycare teacher. Are all schools non profit?? Just conjecturing about salaries in positions that may be lower pay but valuable in many ways so a person might choose it.
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Why would one incur student loans to be a preschool teacher not requiring a degree?
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As I suggested above, maybe they live in an area that afforded one spouse to get a (now) high paying job and the other spouse had to make a sacrifice. Or maybe, as also opined, the husband lost his job and had to take something. Maybe you can suggest other lower paying jobs that the husband might have taken. Journalism, editing? TV reporter?
Iâm sot sure. I would just suggest that if he were a teacher, heâd be eligible for student loan forgiveness and that would be pertinent to the article.
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OK. No idea what would have helped the authorâs story. Just trying to come up with valuable, but low paying jobs. How long would he have to continue teaching to get loan forgiveness? How much is forgiven after the first 5 consecutive years? (I couldnât find the answer to that), Maybe he majored in Philosophy or French or Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations and was having trouble starting his career path 