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Economists have noticed a serious problem among the recent good job news. The employment rate for working men in prime age (25-54 years) has been steadily falling.
After World War II only 6% of men in this age range did not have a job and weren’t looking for work. Today the rate is 14%.
The main reason is the loss of jobs in manufacturing, construction and farming – fields that provided work for men wanting to toil with their hands and backs, like my late father. Those jobs are disappearing, and so too is employment for that group of men.
– Dr. Mike Walden, PHD, NCSU