[tomsaffell]

Hope this doesn't sound nitpicky, but I'm curious about the implication that 'Yelp customer service' would be considered 'middle class'. Were you specifically meaning that, or was it just co-incidence? I'm curious because I find that the issue of 'the hollowing out of the middle class' hinges on the definition of 'middle class', so I'd like to know how this might help inform the definition. thanks.

[aphextron]

Customer service jobs at a large tech firm in SF start in the $20/hr range. Firmly middle class.

[nugget]

Discussions of class can be semantic minefields, but broadly I'd consider that entry level customer service job ($20/hr as another poster mentioned) as lower middle class. Importantly though, entry level lower middle class jobs can serve as a path upwards for skilled individuals who would become more solidly middle class after a few years. It's not just the loss of the entry level jobs I'd look for but the few rungs in the ladder above them as well.