My last wage earning work was in manufacturing with an American company that still prospers. We had jobs for temporary workers that started at $12-$15 hr. hour. Reliable workers had maybe a 50/50 chance of becoming permanent and one of those disappearing middle class jobs with good wage, health care and pension benefits. Entry level work was generally difficult and menial and shifts, but would usually lead to advancement sometimes into management and usually into a decent job.. The company had a policy of team directed work units, where line workers had some say in-day-today operations. In spite of all this, the company had trouble finding reliable people willing to persevere the rough temporary work at the beginning of employment.

I sometimes wonder if those actually wanting the American Dream are less willing to pay the price of admission. My grandmother was a single mother, and provided room and board in her home to pay for my mother's college. Who lets rooms or provides room and board these days? Through all of the hard financial times there have been businesses requiring certain skills, like instrumentation technicians for example, who have had trouble finding workers to fill openings. My father was an undertaker, and again, always had trouble finding good help.

But like Rob has said, how desirable is the modern version of the American Dream anyway, and is it worth the price of admission.