Sure, nearly everybody took a nasty hit during the Great Recession.

So it wasn't a surprise that a poll conducted for the AJC of metro Atlanta found a lot of disquiet about the state of the economy and the  middle class.

But what about the economy as a lifetime proposition? Have things gotten better or worse during the course of your life?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the youngest age group -- those 18 to 24 -- were pretty positive.

But the response among the middle-aged was overwhelming and surprising -- perhaps even to middle-aged people. In Part 5 of our special series "The Riddle of the Middle," see what folks in their 50s had to say about the quality of life during their decades on earth.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC