Millions of men in their prime working age are leaving the labor force, creating a hole in the ma…

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Published 2023-01-26
Around seven million men in their prime working age neither have jobs nor are looking for one, creating a huge hole in the labor market and costing businesses in male-dominated fields like manufacturing millions of dollars. Tony Dokoupil talks to "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe and the CEO of a manufacturing company about the reasons behind this phenomenon.

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All Comments (21)
  • Gotta love how they interview everyone for this piece except men between 25 and 54 who are not working. 😂
  • @PeterKardas
    This is MISINFORMATION. They didn't ask: "What is your hourly pay rate? Do you offer Health Insurance? What are the RENTS in the area? What's the CRIME rate in this area?" I lived in the Philly area for 30 years. The wages are TERRIBLE...and the rents are HIGH. Many are struggling to survive on $15 per hour - or LESS. But the CBS journalist, who makes a GREAT salary, somehow neglected to ask the MAIN questions! We're being abused, economically, then LIED TO by the Media - then told that men are LAZY! Unbelievable! Additionally, older people, who apply for work, are discriminated against. Why? Their HEALTH CARE costs more. So employers higher YOUNGER people - even if they are less qualified. NO ONE EVER addresses that...but it's true.
  • @enceladus2263
    Men who worked hard used to be rewarded with a home, wife and a family. Now we get none of those things. Why would I work for a society who’s robbed me of the American dream.
  • I can tell you as a college graduate in "Prime working age" corporations aren't hiring like they say they are.
  • They made a whole segment about the wave of men leaving the workforce and they couldn't even find a single one to interview. Top notch reporting right there.
  • @jodollman8136
    My husband is in his prime working years and has applied to hundreds of jobs without any offers. He's qualified, he's skilled, he has experience but at 50+ he seems to be ignored. It's infuriating and quite frankly depressing. Most of the corporations are lying. They don't really want to hire. They make it look like they want to hire but prefer to make one employee do the work of three for the pay of one.
  • @littlelizzymamaliz
    This makes me so sick. It's like they're blaming people for not wanting to work for slavery wages
  • People are finally starting to catch on to the fact that this whole "labor shortage" is manufactured. I've applied to tons of jobs after moving recently, and getting a response is one in twenty, it feels like, let alone an actual interview. These companies have realized that they can still operate under staffed and pay one person to do the jobs of 2 or 3.
  • @bobbyhogo2342
    Gotta love people working in television and management explaining why people don’t want to work harder in harder less glamorous jobs than they do.
  • Talk to the workers, not the employers. They will tell you the truth. Just make sure you blur their face
  • @aramriley3113
    As a former laborer of many industries from welding and mechanics to hvac, to construction and even tree trimming from power lines, I realized that one employer was charging other corporations $200 per hour for my labor and skill while I was barely making a living wage. Over the years I paid the ultimate price as now I have physical and health issues from asthma to chronic arthritis in my back with zero cartilage remaining between my vertebrae. I live with constant daily pain that requires a daily steroid just to minimize inflammation. I can no longer keep up with my children or live a fulfilling life and I am only in my early 40's....all to make someone else more rich while we are taken advantage of and left struggling to provide generational wealth for our families. I feel many men are realizing this and are fed up. Don't get it wrong though....... I am not sitting around watching tv or playing games living off of the system......in 2021, I enrolled myself back into college to get retrained for a more suitable skill for my physical issues and I am looking forward to getting back to work again, but I am done with making less than desirable wages or wages that just meet the cost of living requirements that keep me trapped in the revolving door of the middle class. In the field of Cybersecurity, I pray that I will not have that issue for a long time.
  • @w.s.2102
    Men are checking out of work, relationships, and society in general.... is it really that surprising that when you degrade someone long enough, they finally check out
  • @sabartooth14
    This is such bull, I spent my entire 20s trying to get an apprenticeship in the labor industry, hundreds of applications and never even got call backs, when I finally got into a contracting job(which was the only thing I could get into) they lowballed us and paid us basically minimum wage until the company went under, after that I got a job working from home that paid more than double what I was making as a contractor. These companies abused their workers and underpaid them for decades and now they're all in shock that no one wants to work for them, hah
  • @Rjazul7774
    The employers created this problem, the workers didn’t. No one’s buying it. From age 16-21, I struggled to find employment, and so did my peers. That was a major factor in my decision to join the military. Years later, honorable discharge in hand along with certifications… I dealt with worse employment opportunities than I did before I left!! It was infuriating and confusing. You want workers? Train them. You want to keep workers? Give them benefits and treat them right. But step one is opening the door
  • How dare they say that men in their prime are choosing not to work. It is the employers who pay low wages, have you work more than one position, cut corners in trainings and safety measures and don't provide quality benefits. Treatment is poor and morale is low.
  • @whobutroo
    its a mystery why men in their prime dont want to work??? how about the fact that it costs so much more to have a family yet the jobs pay you so little. You have to put in 90 hours a week just to get by and then have to beg for a raise. We are sick of it. You dont want to pay us? Fine. Do the job yourself.
  • @dawnstarr671
    I retired early because I was being paid for one job, but doing two other jobs that were higher paid positions. They use you and then spit you out. Stand your ground workers!
  • @AshtonCoolman
    Working hard used to mean getting ahead. We also worked hard for the good women in our lives. Both are gone now so why work yourself to death if it's for nothing 🤷
  • @jtomczak100
    Most people are sick of killing themselves for scraps while companies make millions in profits