The Barbell Economy: Why the Middle is Vanishing

Your parents' career advice is killing your future. The path they taught you about leads nowhere now.

Dear Unlearners,

In 1960, a factory worker could own a home, support a family, and send kids to college. In 2025, that story reads like a fairy tale.

The most dangerous place in today's economy is exactly where most people are trying to be: the middle. And it's disappearing faster than anyone predicted.

There are two types of jobs left: those that pay enough to live well, and those that barely pay enough to survive. The space between them? It's not just shrinking – it's vanishing.

Here's what's really happening.

Remember the bell curve? That comfortable statistical distribution where most things cluster in the middle?

It's becoming a barbell. And you don't want to be caught in the middle when it snaps.

Look around. The neighborhood restaurant is either a high-end farm-to-table experience or a fast-casual chain.

The retailer is either Amazon or a curated boutique. The middle? Ask the empty storefronts at your local mall.

Think about jobs. They're either high-skill knowledge work or gig economy…