Men leaving the workforce

The percentage of U.S. men in the workforce has been declining for decades, with a sharper shift the past few years. For the Washington Post, Lauren Kaori Gurley and Federica Cocco report.

“It’s not all retirement and education. … There are guys just dropping off the planet. They’re not looking after their kids. They’re not in school. They’re not in the labor force,” said Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan. “Across the board when we look at men, we see challenges that they face that leave too many men disconnected.”

Since 2006, the percentage is down six percentage points, which is maybe a bit less than you would think after looking at the line chart above. The reasons of course are multifaceted, but if I were to guess, I’d say more women in workforce has and will continue to change dynamics at work and at home.