I think a lot of people are self-employing or going into debt because of the massive inflation.

I've started getting into the so-called gig economy over the last year. Instead of working for a company, where my wage stagnates, I work for a bunch of different people on a casual basis. If someone isn't treating me right, I just work for someone else.

A lot of the people I work for are seriously struggling with inflation; gas alone is adding hundreds of dollars a week to their expenses and that doesn't even get into rising material costs and supply chain shortages.

If you can get onto government benefits, or even lean on a line of credit or second mortgage, you're likely to be better off than you would be earning a pre-inflation salary while prices skyrocket. In a year or so wages will catch up to prices and your debt will be worth maybe 75% of what you took out. At that point you can get a job at the new level and you're set.

That said, it's quite easy to find jobs right now; trades are scarce and you just can't live without them. If you've got the stones to charge the new prices, you're going to do well.