“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.

Although the April national jobs report came in weaker than expected and showed signs of a cooling labor market, some industries made gains, notably transportation. The transit and ground passenger transportation sector added over 20,000 jobs since April of last year. Today, for our “My Economy” series, we’re featuring Liz Young, a signal traction maintainer at the Regional Transportation District, which provides public transit in Denver.

Before joining RTD, Young worked as an actuarial analyst but wasn’t happy in his career. “The whole time I was working 60-plus hours a week,” Young said.

So, during the pandemic, he decided to take a leap and try something completely new. After applying to over a dozen positions, Young was called in for an interview at RTD. To his surprise, he was offered the job on the spot.

Not only does Young feel a lot happier in his new role, but he’s found financial stability in it. “If I were doing an apples-to-apples comparison, I’d be making more than double what I was making before,” he said. “Being financially secure is a great mood stabilizer. I know that I’m going to be able to pay for my mortgage, I’m going to be able to pay for my food, I can support my partner, and I can do some fun stuff.”

To hear the rest of Young’s story, click the audio player above.