barely making it

[GoodTaste]

The meaning of "barely making it" seems to vary widely to me. Does it mean "just survived with minimal life support"? Or does it mean "just making ends meet"?

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A large number of those losing their jobs were already among the most vulnerable, including service workers earning minimum wage and truck drivers who serve the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where trade volume is down substantially. For many, unemployment checks have been arriving, stanching the bleeding temporarily. But thousands of undocumented Californians are unable to collect unemployment because of their immigration status, although the state has offered some aid.

“A number of people who were hit by this were barely recovering from the last recession, barely making it,” said Ann O’Leary, chief of staff to Mr. Newsom.

Source: NYTimes
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/u...mid=tw-nytimes

 

[GoesStation]

In this context it means living with no economic cushion. In a medical context it means narrowly escaping death.​ The phrase works in other contexts, too, from which one can have a narrow escape.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes, In this context we use make it to mean survive, get by, succeed.

 

[GoodTaste]

Yes, In this context we use make it to mean survive, get by, succeed.

A question that remains is why uses "were" rather than "are" in "who were hit by this." It thus raises the question whether it is "a number of people were barely making it" or "a number of people are barely making it." Using "were" makes "barely making it" as the repeat of barely recovering from the last recession." I am not sure.

“A number of people who were hit by this were barely recovering from the last recession, barely making it,”

 

[GoesStation]

The barely recovering and barely making it were happening at the same time. Does that answer your question?

 

[Tarheel]

It's past tense there.

(They were barely making it when the man-made disaster hit them.)

 

[GoodTaste]

It's past tense there.

(They were barely making it when the man-made disaster hit them.)

Does the man-made disaster refer to the last recession just mentioned?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Does the man-made disaster refer to the last recession just mentioned?

Yes. Exactly.

Because of the recession, a lot of people were just barely making it. Then the virus hit. It has made their problems worse.

 

[Tarheel]

Does the man-made disaster refer to the last recession just mentioned?

I was referring to the shutdown(s), which put people out of work. (Some businesses will never reopen.) The authorities in several states did what a virus could not do.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

A question that remains is why uses "were" rather than "are" in "who were hit by this." It thus raises the question whether it is "a number of people were barely making it" or "a number of people are barely making it." Using "were" makes "barely making it" as the repeat of barely recovering from the last recession." I am not sure.

Last year, they were barely making it. Then, this year, along came the Coronocaust. So now they're even worse off.