> you will find people in the trades who do OK, some with help from a union, some not.

I doubt it, based on retirement saving statistics, opiate addiction statistics, and healthcare related financial issues.

People on and off the coasts don’t have sufficient retirement savings, emergency savings, nor income security especially when they hit years 50 to 65 (soon to be 70 as social security and Medicare ages rise).

People in the trades might be doing fine if you ignore the health costs associated with driving long distances and manual labor, especially ones that rear their head in people’s 50s.