A growing number of men in their prime working years are neither employed nor actively seeking employment.

• An increasing amount of men between the ages of 25 and 54 are leaving the workforce.
• In August 2024, approximately 6.8 million men nationwide were neither employed nor actively seeking employment, which accounts for about 10.5% of that group, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• The likelihood of men being unemployed is influenced by their level of education.

The number of men leaving the workforce has been consistently increasing, particularly among men aged 25 to 54, who are considered to be in their most productive working years.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate for prime-age working men was 3.4% in August 2024. However, about 10.5% of men in their prime working years, or approximately 6.8 million men nationwide, are neither working nor looking for employment, compared to just 2.5% in 1954.

The decline in labor force participation among prime-age men is a significant concern for our society, economy, and political system, according to Nicholas Eberstadt, a political economist at the American Enterprise Institute.

The likelihood of prime-age men being out of the labor force is significantly influenced by their level of education.

According to Jeff Strohl, a director at Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, the greatest effects are felt by those without a college education in their ability to access and maintain employment opportunities.

Over the past decade, fewer younger men have been enrolling in college, while men without a college degree are leaving the workforce at a higher rate, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.

"According to Carol Graham, senior fellow of economic studies at the Brookings Institution, manufacturing firms and the places where they were located have become ghost lands due to technology-driven growth and Chinese competition."

The reasons behind men leaving the workforce are discussed in the video above.