The employment rate in the USA is usually somewhere around ~5% depending on what subset of the workforce you're looking at. The rest of the world usually isn't too far off that.
If the vast majority of people are in the group, is it not an easy group to be a part of?
> The employment rate in the USA is usually somewhere around ~5% depending on what subset of the workforce you're looking at.
Well based on the number of friends I have that work multiple jobs and can't afford anything more than a room and basic necessities, that's not a very useful perspective.
Is that actually true though? Your friends don't have a smartphone with mobile internet, a computer, a TV, a fridge, a microwave, AC/heating, high speed internet, maybe a game console, a bounty of clothing, etc?
Because I think those aren't really necessities, yet the average person in the US has them. We're just quite spoiled in the 21st century, and many would argue (including clearly OP) that the reason for this abundance is (at least in part) free market capitalism.
People complain about needing to work to live, but that has always been the case. The difference is now you can work reasonable hours (40/week) doing a low-skill job and still have all those things.