The “middle class”.  Political parties covet it because most of us believe we are part of it.  In a recent nationwide survey about the future of Canada’s middle class fewer than a third of us are optimistic about its future.  In 2020 just over half of Canadians felt optimistic, so there’s been a big drop. In the latest survey, fewer than half of self-identified middle-class respondents say they are just getting by with no savings, and 15% are falling behind on their monthly expenses.   Also, parents are increasingly pessimistic about their kid’s futures with just over half confident their kids can be middle class or higher compared with more than three quarters in 2020.  The percentage of Canadians who self-identify as middle class has stayed consistent but paradoxically three quarters feel that our middle class is shrinking.  When forced to choose, more Canadians identified themselves as middle class as against upper class, lower class, working class or poor.  When asked to define middle class in their own words, respondents largely described a comfortable lifestyle with an average income and the ability to afford a house as the key elements.  Higher income earners, even those with an annual household income above $150,000, consider themselves middles class.  Some say middle class is between rich and poor, between the top 20% and bottom 20% of income earners.   Some say it’s in the middle of a social hierarchy defined by income, occupation, education, or social status.  There’s no official definition of middle class which maybe explains why I have a hard time defining it. 

That’s Coffeetalk, I’m Vic Dubois.