Living In The Middle http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130375703&ft=1&f=130375703 The Great Recession has eroded middle-class workers' sense of financial security. In a new series, NPR profiles Americans who are feeling squeezed in the middle and fearing a slide to the bottom. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:01:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Living In The Middle http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130375703&ft=1&f=130375703 Arizona Family Chooses To Live In The Middle Gregg and Lola Donnell, who earn right around the national median income, could work more, but then they'd have less time for what matters to them. The Donnells, who have three kids, choose not just to live within their means, but to live within their needs. And that suits them fine. Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130403866&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130403866&ft=1&f=130375703 Gregg and Lola Donnell, who earn right around the national median income, could work more, but then they'd have less time for what matters to them. The Donnells, who have three kids, choose not just to live within their means, but to live within their needs. And that suits them fine.

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]]> Farming Gives Colo. Family A Living But No Nest Egg Terry Walter estimates that his family of five earned about $48,000 last year. He's the third generation to work his land, and he faces a difficult combination of high debt levels and low profit margins that his father never had to worry about. Walter also worries about how he and his wife will afford to retire. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:12:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130385169&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130385169&ft=1&f=130375703 Terry Walter estimates that his family of five earned about $48,000 last year. He's the third generation to work his land, and he faces a difficult combination of high debt levels and low profit margins that his father never had to worry about. Walter also worries about how he and his wife will afford to retire.

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]]> Fluidity And Mobility: A Newly Defined Middle Class Some see the middle-class lifestyle as an achievement, but commentator Samuel R. Staley disagrees. The middle class is a fluid notion that changes over time, and what was thought of as middle class in the mid-20th century is now long gone. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:10:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130404759&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130404759&ft=1&f=130375703 Some see the middle-class lifestyle as an achievement, but commentator Samuel R. Staley disagrees. The middle class is a fluid notion that changes over time, and what was thought of as middle class in the mid-20th century is now long gone.

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]]> The Illusory, Elusive American Dream Achieving the American dream should be easy: If you play by the rules, you should get ahead. But commentator Daisy Hernandez knows it's harder than it sounds. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130400932&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130400932&ft=1&f=130375703 Achieving the American dream should be easy: If you play by the rules, you should get ahead. But commentator Daisy Hernandez knows it's harder than it sounds.

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]]> For Black Community, No Good Jobs Is Nothing New It is widely acknowledged that the middle class is facing new feelings of insecurity. Commentator Cord Jefferson says that for the African-American community, these feelings are reminiscent of a time when access to jobs was blocked not by a recession but by racism. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:35:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130399692&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130399692&ft=1&f=130375703 It is widely acknowledged that the middle class is facing new feelings of insecurity. Commentator Cord Jefferson says that for the African-American community, these feelings are reminiscent of a time when access to jobs was blocked not by a recession but by racism.

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]]> How We Came To Be In The Middle: A Story Of Class There was a time, a long time ago, when there were many classes. Commentator Nicholas von Hoffman tells the story of the wiggling, writhing and squirming that ended when we all became the middle class. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:35:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130401835&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130401835&ft=1&f=130375703 There was a time, a long time ago, when there were many classes. Commentator Nicholas von Hoffman tells the story of the wiggling, writhing and squirming that ended when we all became the middle class.

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]]> Ala. Family Of Four Struggles In Economic Climate Darryl Pendergrass, his wife and their two boys live on his $43,000-a-year salary, right about the median income for the state. But because of state budget shortfalls, he hasn't had a raise in five years. His wife says that has meant giving up some of the niceties they once enjoyed. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:17:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130382016&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130382016&ft=1&f=130375703 Darryl Pendergrass, his wife and their two boys live on his $43,000-a-year salary, right about the median income for the state. But because of state budget shortfalls, he hasn't had a raise in five years. His wife says that has meant giving up some of the niceties they once enjoyed.

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]]> What Does 'Middle Class' Really Mean? NPR’s Kimberly Jones asks, what does it really mean to be middle class in America? She realizes that it's less about what you've got, and more about what you do with what you’ve got. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:34:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/10/06/130382975/what-does-middle-class-really-mean?ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/10/06/130382975/what-does-middle-class-really-mean?ft=1&f=130375703 NPR’s Kimberly Jones asks, what does it really mean to be middle class in America? She realizes that it's less about what you've got, and more about what you do with what you’ve got.

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]]> Single, Middle Class And Getting By The government says median income household is just under $50,000, and you'd think that single people in that category would be the most comfortable. But as Maryland resident Jada Irwin knows, a national median-income salary goes a lot further in some parts of the country than others. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:30:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130374813&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130374813&ft=1&f=130375703 The government says median income household is just under $50,000, and you'd think that single people in that category would be the most comfortable. But as Maryland resident Jada Irwin knows, a national median-income salary goes a lot further in some parts of the country than others.

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]]> The Difficulty Of Defining What 'Middle Class' Is NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Sherry Linkon, co-director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University, about the difficulty of defining what "middle class" is today. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130384213&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130384213&ft=1&f=130375703 NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Sherry Linkon, co-director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University, about the difficulty of defining what "middle class" is today.

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]]> Living In The Middle: Falling Behind? The American middle class faced new economic pressures even before the recession. But despite concerns that middle-income workers are falling behind the wealthy, standards of living have generally been rising. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130248415&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130248415&ft=1&f=130375703 The American middle class faced new economic pressures even before the recession. But despite concerns that middle-income workers are falling behind the wealthy, standards of living have generally been rising.

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]]> Ohio Family Of Five Gets By On Modest Income Host Michel Martin speaks with Michelle Montgomery, who went from working as a corporate recruiter to a stay-at-home mom in Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband are juggling three kids with an income of $40,000 -- below the national median and just below the median in her hometown. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130377710&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130377710&ft=1&f=130375703 Host Michel Martin speaks with Michelle Montgomery, who went from working as a corporate recruiter to a stay-at-home mom in Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband are juggling three kids with an income of $40,000 -- below the national median and just below the median in her hometown.

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]]> Living In The Middle: Series Overview Being middle class in America once meant feeling secure. You could count on having a decent home and a steady paycheck. Over the past three years, that sense of security has eroded. In a new series, NPR profiles Americans who are feeling squeezed in the middle and fearing a slide to the bottom. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130324657&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130324657&ft=1&f=130375703 Being middle class in America once meant feeling secure. You could count on having a decent home and a steady paycheck. Over the past three years, that sense of security has eroded. In a new series, NPR profiles Americans who are feeling squeezed in the middle and fearing a slide to the bottom.

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]]> A Juggling Game For A Single Mom In The Middle New federal numbers show the middle class struggling a little more these days. Sue Spencer, a case manager for the elderly in New Hampshire, makes nearly the median income of $49,777. "It's doable in a perfect month," she says. But most months are not perfect. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130349127&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130349127&ft=1&f=130375703 New federal numbers show the middle class struggling a little more these days. Sue Spencer, a case manager for the elderly in New Hampshire, makes nearly the median income of $49,777. "It's doable in a perfect month," she says. But most months are not perfect.

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]]> If We're All Middle-Class, Who Do We Help? During this campaign season, we've heard a lot about the need to help the "middle class." But in a nation so large and diverse, can we even define the middle? Guest host Rebecca Roberts speaks with Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax about an upcoming series on what it means to be middle class. Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130302991&ft=1&f=130375703 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130302991&ft=1&f=130375703 During this campaign season, we've heard a lot about the need to help the "middle class." But in a nation so large and diverse, can we even define the middle? Guest host Rebecca Roberts speaks with Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax about an upcoming series on what it means to be middle class.

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