...."because old people raised you"...?
I don't want to get too into this, but I think part of the issue is people are mixing up job with career. They're not the same thing, nor should they make the same wages (at least IMO). Jobs are generally meant to be temporary/transitional, need little training, and minimal advancement opportunities. Careers require more training/education (think nursing, teaching, engineering, etc.), have advancement opportunities, and are generally considered more lifelong. People change jobs all the time, but a career change is more unusual.
It's always been a bit of a struggle to make a living wage with a job... hence why people often have more than one, have roomates, etc. I think the issue is it's now not just a struggle, but next to impossible.
So yeah, jobs should still get a raise. But to equate it with a career isn't really fair either.