Harry Krause wrote:

It's your semi-socialist economy. You have a growing middle class. We
have a shrinking one.

Could be, but I don't have enough expertise to really answer that. :-)
In the last decade or so, it seems we've been experiencing some new
stratification in the middle class too, some people can buy company
shares while others are happy if their boss extends their contract by
another month...

Risto