Boomer w/o ford pension here
People very have short memories.
Coming out of college in mid eighties was very lucky to get a job. Many of my college friends were not so lucky and did construction, retail, etc for years before going back to school again when the labor market shifted.
The interest rates for a mortgage were 15-17% it was nearly impossible to get a mortgage.
After six months on the job there were massive layoffs (oil industry), luckily I survived it. The following 5 years there successive layoffs. After 5 years I had enough and switched industries. 5 years of bliss and then one day the company was involved in a hostile take over. Layoffs followed. Switched industries again, 2 years in yearly layoffs were a fact of life.
Eventually landed at Ford, and the only difference is the large population of people who feel entitled to a paycheck for just showing up.
So yes I have a lot saved, but that is because I drove cheap used cars and lived in a small ‘starter’ house my entire career and saved money like a fiend. The youth can do the same thing if the choose.