Just the back of the envelope calculation. I may be off a bit.

BC stats show the Median Family Income (usually a couple) in BC is $100,000 or $80,000 after tax. After other payroll deductions it could be less.

The group I am discussing is mostly those who just left College or are in their first few years of wage earning. This group in the past was the major Family Formation years. So the 20-32 yo group for argument’s sake.

Assumptions:
-no student debt
-rent a one bed apt, no ownership
-the couple has one car and the other uses transit
-no vacations
-no pets
-no kids
-no RRSP, TFSA or saving for a downpayment on a home

Doing a simple expenses of basic life in a $2500 a month apt, I came up with $72,000 a year.
This couple have $8,000 to add items from the “NO” list.

No wonder we are not seeing Family formation or hope for the future. They are truly fucked.
Many are waiting for the death of their parents or a substantial handout so they may have to wait until they are over 40 and it will be too late for many.

As this group passes through the phases of their lives, they will not enter the middle class and in a generation we will be living in a Country of the many poor and the small upper class. Prime conversion to socialism/communism if we are not already there.
If AI eliminates many jobs, the State will need to implement UBI for the useless eaters as they call us. I can’t see any changes coming.

Looking back to the Generation that is here on the tent, by that age, we were already on the mortgage treadmill (housing roughly 3-4x family income), had the 2.1 kids if desired, started saving for retirement, went on vacations and life was good.