that's true, as having a job (very very very very rarely private) was mandatory.
Other problem was that people had nothing to do
In many cases you just had to be in the office... you was drinking tea, chatting with friends, and after 8 hours leaving for home... forn months, years and so on.
And of course you was getting your sallary, allowing you to buy food and nothing more, if you were lucky and there was something in the shop. From time to time you had vinegar and vinegar only! not a single thing more in a shop
Also, even if you had the money, you couldn't spend it if you had no "cards". You was receiving them monthly and everytime you was buyng something you had to leave a card or more in the shop (to prevent you from buyng more goods... because others wound; have no chance to buy some).
Oh, one more thing.. if you wanted to buy a meat you had to wake up early and stand in a queue since 5-6am and... mayne about 1-2pm you had a pleasure to buy something, especially before the christmas
There were other funny things... you had no right to buy and to have the US $, but you had the shops where you could spend $. That was the only places where you could buy computers (i got my forst atari 65 for 127$ ;-) )
Anyway, if the folks who were saying it were young, just don't believe them
they woulnd not liked that system after a week or two... and i'm not sure they could survive there for longer ;-)
