Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest there is a trend of men leaving the workforce while the reverse is true for women. That statement should not be misconstrued as saying that women have become the dominant force in the workforce. This is simply not true. It is true that since feminism and women’s liberation have taken hold in America that women have become more and more involved in the workforce.
An estimated 75% of mothers work. That still leaves 25% of mothers completely out of the workforce. Men aged 30-34 participate in the workforce at a rate of 89.8% which is down from the pre-pandemic levels of 90.2%. Obviously, men are still outpacing women in the workforce participation rate. However, the very slight 0.4% decrease in 30-34 male workforce participation is somewhat caused for concern. If the trend of males leaving the workforce continues at the same time as the trend of women entering, an imbalance in society can happen that will most certainly weaken it.
CNN published an article with an accompanying video about the issue of men leaving the workforce. Their story focused on a stay-at-home dad. The father had quit his insurance job to stay home with his infant son while his wife worked outside of the home. This type of thing is becoming more common than it was in prior years. Theories have been floated out there as to why this is happening. A good explanation would be the lack of adherence to gender roles. Boys are taught in K-12 and in college as adults that masculinity is wrong and girls are superior to them. Girls and women are taught the same thing. This may cause gender roles to become abandoned even in the face of clear biological impulses that all human beings have.
SOURCES:
As more men leave the workforce, women are stepping in to fill those jobs | CNN Business
Men are dropping out of the labor force because they’re upset about their social status, according to a new study | Fortune
Why have so many American men given up on work? – CBS News
More and more men are out of the workforce. A new book explores how to fix that : NPR
