What is "working class"?

[hedgehog]

I imagine that everyone who has to get up to be at work by 8 considers themselves to be working class. But then, there's working class and there's working class:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/marco-rubio-working-class-house-for-sale-675000_n_2681264.html?utm_hp_ref=miami

Looking at the photos, that house might at one time been within the reach of an engineer, small town lawyer, manager, etc. But it is certainly not within reach of most people out there working today. The problem is that Marc Rubio and many like him think that all working class people live like they do. Anyone who needs government help must therefore be milking the system.

[ret5hd]

1. Most who call themselves middle class are actually working class.

That's been my experience, anyway.

[maxsolomon]

2. I'd link it to a certain percentage of area AMI and a job which doesn't require a bachelor's degree.

Unfortunately, that excludes people with degrees who make poor salaries: teachers, social workers.

But let's pick a number for discussion: 40K/year for a family of 4.

[SheilaT]

3. At one time there was a pretty good definition

of working class, and it connected to education and the kind of work performed as well as the amount of money earned. Now, the lines are very blurred. Nearly everyone in this country considers themselves middle class, regardless of education or amount of money earned.