In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age are now earning more than men aged 25–34. They explain how seniors’ incomes have increased through pensions, investments, and government supports, while younger workers face slow wage growth, higher living costs, and inflation.
The discussion explores key issues affecting younger generations in Canada, including housing affordability, childcare costs, wage stagnation, and intergenerational inequality. Sabrina and Mike talk about why young men are struggling in today’s economy, what this means for Canada’s workforce, and how policy changes could help.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:42 New report shows young men earn less than senior men
02:00 Senior men incomes have doubled since 1970s
02:24 Young men’s incomes are down since the 1970s
03:21 Where is the extra senior income coming from?
05:53 The role of government transfers and entitlements
07:30 Breaking down younger men’s incomes
09:44 Housing have increased far faster than inflation since 1977
11:11 Why have wages gone down for young men?
13:31 social taboos around talking about young men
17:09 Concluding thoughts
Research Links:
What Happened to the Young Middle-Class Man?
https://substack.com/home/post/p-181132084?source=queue
How Do Young Men See the World? We Asked Them.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a63613007/young-men-america-2025/
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.
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