Hard Earned is a documentary series that puts aside economic debates and follows five families around the country to find out what it takes to get by on $8, $10 or $15 an hour. The series turns an intimate lens on this group of 21st century American dreamers as they fight against all odds to thrive when it takes everything they have to simply survive. Characters represent geographically and ethnically diverse multigenerational Americans.
As Emilia celebrates her 50th birthday, she takes stock of her career as a waitress and struggles to hold onto her house. DJ gets frustrated with working conditions at Walgreens and starts talking to his co-workers about how to make a change. Clerical worker Jose and his girlfriend Elizabeth look for a way to move out of their parents’ basements and give their son his own bedroom.
