I'm interested to know is that your wife's job? You started out by saying people can't just get a new job. Which is fair. But I'm confused as to if she is actually working. Not to say it's a bad thing either way. We gotta do what we gotta do.

The whole get a new job thing doesn't work for everybody. But the main point behind it is employers are more competitive when searching for new talent. Thus hire wages. You don't necessarily have to learn a new skill or change industries. Hopping from McDonald's to Burger King might get you more money in comparison to waiting for a raise. Depends on your market and your industry.