The standard of livelihood required is bare minimum. “Kach hi darkah shel torah – pas b’melach tochal etc.” — Bread salt and water – if you have that, you have parnasah. The Rambam writes that a typical Baal Habayis works 3 hours a day and learns 8.
This is what a “working person” is. Three hours a day. 8 hours learning.
What in the world does that have to do with today’s working man’s lifestyle where he works 8 hours a day and almost never even learns 3? It proves nothing that Chazal endorsed working, since working in those days meant learning 8 hours a day.
Or perhaps some folks here know better than Chazal. Bread salt and water isn’t enough you say? One must reach the “American Dream” of home ownership, a decent car, kids in college, fancy clothing and technological gadgets. Otherwise, say the American psychologists, the person can’t be happy.