You cant find any facts because the regurgitation your regurgitating is "data" that is play-doh'd into whatever is needed to keep you numb, dumb, and in-debt. Thats the way the system works. Its the same reason there are record auto loan defaults and people behind payments in this "richer" middle class. Ive been tooting that horn for 30 years. Today you have a $100 cell phone bill (if your lucky), car payment, $200 satellite TV/internet bundle, rent/mortgage, utilities, dine out more than cook on the stove, and so on. Granted people have made themselves broke. The answer, as with everything, is to you blame the addict, or the dealer, or both. Our system makes the crack dealer on the corner of an urban city street seem like St. Peter and fortunately for the system the masses are weak to resist.
30 year's in this industry and spending months, if not years, in some peoples home being the somewhat invisible crew thats there every day working on their home and just becomes completely invisible give you a very interesting behind the scenes perspective. Its a fascinating social experiment actually. And its real. Not some conjured up, filtered, biased data/graph disseminated to you from some individual with their own agenda (which is most generally the one that will make them more money).
I dont disagree that the 40 hour a week factory job with the gold watch is long gone. But the days of someone coming into any craft, trade, job, and being trained (if they choose to persevere) are not. I agree that the percentage of young people who will ever persevere due to a piss poor parenting and educational system is far lower than it ever has been.
None the less. The aftermath of it all, to me at least, lays at the feet of extremely masterful marketing. Its apparent in this industry perhaps as much if not more than most any other.
Again, you can blame the addict, or you can blame the dealer, or both. I am probably a 70/30 and climbing.. in favor of blaming the dealer.