What's happened to men in the labor market
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For a long time, men dominated the job market. Not quite anymore.
Driving the news: The share of working-age men in the labor market has been declining for decades — particularly for those without college degrees.
- At the same time, women of all education levels have flooded the workforce.
The big picture: For women this is a remarkable achievement, with more gaining economic power and independence alongside a hard-fought decline in workplace discrimination.
- For men, it's been more of a mixed bag. For those with college degrees, it's a positive story. The decline in employment is happening primarily because they're staying in school longer and delaying entry into the workforce.
- Some are also leaving the workforce to be caregivers — an avenue typically unavailable, and sometimes unimaginable, for older generations.
Zoom in: For men without college degrees, the past few decades have been hard. The decline in the kinds of manufacturing and factory jobs that used to offer good, stable livelihoods has hurt. So has the opioid crisis, which studies have found has hit less-educated male populations disproportionately.
- "I'm a big believer in looking at not only where lines are, but where they're going, and the lines are going the right way, generally speaking, for women in the labor market. But that's not true for men," says Richard Reeves, a former Brookings fellow who's founded a new think tank devoted to the wellbeing of boys and men.
Where it stands: In the strong, post-pandemic labor market, men have improved their lot.
- The increased investment in the manufacturing sector that's come from some of the Biden administration's key pieces of legislation has created more jobs for those without college degrees, says Reeves.
- But women have seen stronger gains since 2020. The share who are either employed or looking for work now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Men are back where they started.
By the numbers: Between 1979 and 2023, the share of college-educated, working-age men with a job declined to 93% from 96%, according to government data analyzed by Reeves' American Institute for Boys and Men.
- Meanwhile, the fall was more steep for men without bachelor's degrees, declining to 81% from 89%.
Reality check: Men still out-earn women, on average, and control the upper ranks of most big companies.
