Young men are being left behind by economy

Why the economy is leaving young men behind

What you probably already know: Young men under 29 years old are falling behind their female counterparts, finding themselves living with their parents well into their 20s and struggling in their careers. A new report from the Aspen Economic Strategy Group based on analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 700,000 fewer young men are employed in the U.S. than in 2004, while women’s participation rose significantly in the same period. And currently 20% of young men live with their parents, compared to 12% a decade ago.

Why? Women are more likely than men to graduate from college: 70% compared to 61.3%, respectively, and are more likely to graduate from high school, as well. Women now make up 58% of college students — that’s 3.1 million more women than men pursuing degrees. Studies have looked at why young men aren’t pursuing education, and it starts in grade school, where socialization encourages boys to play sports and be competitive, often at the expense of studying. Boys who do study and excel can be bullied for it, which can encourage them to pull back. Behavioral issues also result in higher expulsion rates among boys.

What it means: While it’s good to see women excelling in areas where they previously struggled, the growing distance between men and women isn’t good for society. Young women, for example, are moving farther left than their male counterparts, especially on issues of abortion and gun laws, and young men are now becoming more religious than young women. In a Wall Street Journal piece, University of Maryland masculinity researcher Kevin Roy says that until the last decade or so, men just had to show up and they’d get a job and have a family “because they’re men.” That’s no longer true, he said.

What happens now? Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, says the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on young men, in part because society teaches men not to talk about their feelings. That means when things get difficult, men don’t have as many tools to deal with psychological setbacks. The suicide rate for men between 25 to 34 is up 30% since 2010, the largest increase among any age and gender cohort, and men are less likely than women to seek support when they’re struggling with mental health issues. It means solutions need to meet young men where they are, including through celebrities like Michael Phelps and LeBron James, who have spoken out about the importance of mental health.