You’re talking about things that happened in the 90s. If you are still struggling now 3 decades later because of that then I have to question if you are the problem. I know people about my age (I was born in 2001) getting mortgages working in tech without even a proper computer science degree, just doing desktop servicing and repair. There have been some rough times recently with people getting fired after the pandemic ended and with the AI boom. However there have also been new opportunities thanks to AI. I am getting funded to do a 3 year PhD with a 19K a year bursary thanks to AI hype. If there is an AI bust that just means more jobs for regular programmers as companies realize that replacing them with LLMs wasn’t a good idea. If not then anyone who can make or work with AI models is quids in.

I have never worked in or been to America so I have no idea what has or hasn’t happened in Florida before I was born, nor do I care. Given that was three decades ago you shouldn’t really care either. If it’s that big of problem can’t you “move state” since America is supposed to be so big and diverse? For me to leave the UK which is much smaller I would need to go through immigration. There are booms and busts in all markets and always will be until we can overthrow capitalism.