SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Why are more men choosing not to work?

Sep 29, 2016, 3:49 PM

I came across a piece by a writer named Nicholas Eberstadt, who has a book called Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis.

The book says there is a precipitous increase in men who choose not to work, not even looking for jobs.

In 1954, a total of 6 percent of men were not working. Then in 1984 , it was 11 percent. Today, it is nearly 18 percent of men that aren’t even looking for employment.

It seems men are finding other things they prefer in place of work.

Now, it has become harder for low-skilled men to enter the work force. Automation is part of that, but also the cost of hiring people has increased.

But it seems these men have a preference for easy leisure, something that makes the body feels like it is working but, in reality, isn’t really accomplishing anything. You know what that is? Video games! They are delivering to young millennial men the illusion of having worked.

Are we amusing ourselves into becoming a different species all together?

Our “central planners” say these people need more. More training, more college, more help. But what they really need is a swift kick on the bottom.

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Why are more men choosing not to work?