Millennial midlife economic squeeze

Survey data show people aged 30–44 report lower happiness, more credit reliance, and poorer retirement expectations than younger and older cohorts. The strain maps onto cost pressures (housing, gas) and labor‑market disruption (hiring slowdowns, possibly AI), producing a distinct midlife economic stressor. — If concentrated economic strain among prime‑age adults persists, it can reshape voting, family formation, and consumption patterns with long‑run political and demographic consequences.