Where have all the diners gone? The disappearing middle class economy
The middle class economy is quintessentially American. It’s a whole range of businesses that cropped up to serve the growing middle class after World War II. Think coffee and apple pie at your neighborhood diner. Or back-to- school shopping at Sears.
But companies that cater to the middle class are cratering under the weight of the affordability crisis.
On today's episode, why is the middle economy disappearing? And what does it mean for the businesses we love?
Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.
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Monica Nickelsburg
AI & Economy Reporter
Monica Nickelsburg covers artificial intelligence, tech and the local economy in the Pacific Northwest.
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Joshua McNichols
Reporter
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
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Lucy Soucek
Senior Podcast Producer
Lucy Soucek is a senior producer at KUOW. She helped launch and now produces Booming, a podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. She also produces THE WILD with Chris Morgan, a podcast about the wonder and resilience of nature.
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Carol Smith
Editor
Carol is an editor of news, features, documentaries and podcasts at KUOW. She specializes in narrative approaches. Her team of reporters has covered a range of beats, including regional growth issues, homelessness, the economy, public health, immigration, food, arts and culture. Prior to joining KUOW, Carol was a long-time print journalist for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Los Angeles Times and others. Her enterprise reporting has won multiple national j awards for investigative and explanatory journalism. She is author of the memoir: Crossing the River: Seven Stories that Saved My Life (Abrams Press, 2021).
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Alec Cowan
Senior Podcast Producer
Alec Cowan is a senior podcast producer for KUOW, where he works on Booming and other podcast projects. He's worked on many station programs, including Soundside, The Record with Bill Radke, Primed, and SoundQs.
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