Generation Jobless: Young Men Suffer Worst as Economy Staggers

From Wall Street Journal: Generation Jobless: Young Men Suffer Worst as Economy Staggers

Few groups were hit harder by the recession than young men....The unemployment rate for males between 25 and 34 years old with high-school diplomas is 14.4%—up from 6.1% before the downturn four years ago and far above today's 9% national rate. The picture is even more bleak for slightly younger men: 22.4% for high-school graduates 20 to 24 years old. That's up from 10.4% four years ago.

...For such men, high unemployment is eroding their sense of economic independence. Their predicament reflects that of a generation of Americans facing one of the weakest job markets in modern history.

...[One woman] worries that lower wages—and, more pressingly, the dearth of jobs—has left young men like her son disaffected and depressed. "They're working minimum-wage jobs and a lot of times, they don't have benefits, they don't have a full 40 hours a week. It's such a struggle they're kind of like, 'What for? All I'm doing is surviving,' " she says. "They have to move back home or they have to have multiple roommates. How are you going to take on a wife and a family in that situation?"

The share of men age 25-34 living with their parents jumped to 18.6% this year, up from 14.2% four year ago and the highest level since at least 1960, according to the Census Bureau..."

Well, this is not exactly news but its interesting from the psychological and cultural perspective of what a long recession does to people and especially men.

Topics to consider:
-Why are men being so especially hard-hit this time?
-How does this affect gender roles, ideas of masculinity, etc.?
-How does it affect the economy in general?
-Impacts on society, i.e., men waiting longer to start familes or not doing so at all; men not developing cruicial skills when young, etc.?
-Anything else?

and you wonder what it would be like if we didnt have a never ending war to recruit all the broke young 18 year olds... seems a little to fitting in my opinion.

No job join the military who do we want young men the ones without jobs

Originally posted by Partygirl

Topics to consider:
-Why are men being so especially hard-hit this time?

Many different converging reasons i think, but i think the biggest reason is the typical "Men-jobs" are not the most sought after in a recession, like building, exploring, researching and architecting. In a recession, mostly "women-type" jobs are still needed, maintaining, caring, supporting etc. So simply put, men are less likely to want those jobs, and to even apply for them. And if they do get them, they are soon bored and quit.

-How does this affect gender roles, ideas of masculinity, etc.?

Of course, a jobless man is a man with less confidence, and it affects their masculinity in the short run. In the long run though, if this persists, the masculine side might make them do something rash, like turn to crime/protests against the society which they no longer believe in.

-How does it affect the economy in general?

More people eating tax money is never good, short term solution is higher taxes, which leads to even less jobs in the long run. Also protests like the occupy movement comes to mind.

-Impacts on society, i.e., men waiting longer to start familes or not doing so at all; men not developing cruicial skills when young, etc.?

Both of the above, of course a man without a job are less likely to even consider hooking up with a girl, since he knows it is pretty futile to spend energy on trying to hook up, girls are more concerned with wallet and security in a man than looks or humour, after all (after a certain age, say 20)

-Anything else?

People need to be less concerned with finding a job, than creating them. Also, getting a career is far more important than a job. This is where people need help from the government, not finding a job, but in creating their own jobs and careers. Jobs at McDonalds or MaidHeaven are not likely to lead to a career.

reply to post by Partygirl


That's only because they can't work at strip clubs or as a prostitute unless they are well, leaning towards gay... Which I bet most women who are employed are so gainfully employed in those two businesses.:/

reply to post by thegoods724


I agree, they want us to join the military.

Originally posted by thegoods724
and you wonder what it would be like if we didnt have a never ending war to recruit all the broke young 18 year olds... seems a little to fitting in my opinion.

No job join the military who do we want young men the ones without jobs

Not all about the money you get to legally kill people!!!

I'm 31 and had to move back in with the rents, meanwhile my condo is up for rent and if I don't rent it soon I will foreclose.

Not too long ago I was a lead programmer making good money. Now the only one who'll give me a job is my dad. It's hopeless out there. My heart's desire since I was a child was to have a family but that dream is so far from me now. The world has much changing to do before I'd bring another soul into this hell.

As long as girls can avoid unwanted pregnancy and maintain a healthy self-image, they hold an edge on men.

I'm 35 it use to be I could go anywhere and make $16 an hour. Now if I want a job it's retail $8 an hour part time. I refuse to work and collect welfare. I sold my tools let my truck get repoed and defaulted on my credit cards.

I've never broken the law but I will rot in a prison cell or sleep under a bridge before I work for $8 an hour. Whats the point of working when every penny goes in my gas tank just to get to work.

F*** this country!

reply to post by Partygirl


Great thread.

I was thinking about this,and All that came to mind was The Great Depression.

In one of his more memorable lines, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke in a 1932 campaign radio address of "the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid." In fact, large numbers of men during the Great Depression had good reason to feel forgotten—or worse.

It has often been argued that men's roles in society have to be artificially created and so are fragile and in constant danger. "It is impossible to strip [the woman's] life of meaning as completely as the life of a man can be stripped," anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote in 1932. For many men, the Great Depression went a long way toward stripping their lives of meaning. What had traditionally given meaning to men's lives were their roles as providers and protectors. Unemployment—or even the serious threat of soon becoming jobless, a potentiality that could be readily seen all around the men who did manage to hang onto their positions—quickly eroded one of these key components of male self-definition. If a man could not provide, was he really a man?

MEN, IMPACT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Because the douchebags in human resources like to hire the pretty girls that they'll never get. When she's off work she comes home to me, in her apartment of course.

I agree 100%. Misleading name aside, I'm a 30 year old guy who is fortunate enough to have bought a house before the market collapsed that was rather large. I've managed to sublet several rooms to the point where I don't have to work to sustain myself, so I can write books and hope to get published.

But though I have a degree with honors from a very prestigious school, I spent 2 years applying to 100 jobs of all sorts of quality and couldn't get even a chance to come in for almost any of them. I finally got a government job thanks to a friend, and spent a few years of my life making my impression on the world, firmly etched into a chair.

And I know I have it relatively good, because there aren't great opportunities. The only chance is if you get lucky and start your own business, which I've tried three times already, but that's a long shot also.

I think when they write about us, they're going to call this a lost generation. Old people think younger people are lazy, but the truth is there just aren't the opportunities there once were. There aren't those jobs where if you work hard you'll make it in the numbers there were. There's just a lucky few, those with connections and the people who are stuck.

It sucks.

Cheaper rent boys!

One of the worst things that can happen to society is if a large number of young men find themselves with nothing to do.

A jobless man will have a hard time starting or keeping a family. No family and no jobs equals nothing to lose.

Even though a man might be broken economically and socially, he still is at the top physically.

Throughout history, idle men were the ones that became criminals, brigands, and barbarians. Idle men are easy to recruit and seem to have a way of destroying societies through war, raping and killing women and children (and other "civilized" men), and generally becoming a scourge on humanity.

Every guy down on his luck in one more step towards the destruction of our society. At this point, society ignores this problem at its own peril.

reply to post by Partygirl

-Why are men being so especially hard-hit this time?

Manufacturing and Financial industries were by far the largest hit .. they were also the two industries dominated by men. The largest gaining industries are clerical, government and medical .. all dominated by women (by a vast majority) Women are also more likely to get hired in Service industries than men, which outside of professional careers is the only industry growing..

-How does this affect gender roles, ideas of masculinity, etc.?

I know a lot of people, myself included, where their wife makes more money than they do. I don't really see that as losing my masculinity lol.. but for many I can understand how they could see it that way. The traditional role of "masculinity" was, imo, destroyed in the "metrosexual revolution" if you will lol.. society has decided that men should be dragged into the 21st century and abandon traditional macho man roles.

-How does it affect the economy in general?

Horrible. Absolutely, God awful, horrible mess. It actually won't really be felt for a little while, the long lasting effects of losing a huge portion of our manufacturing class in favor of clerical positions. The jobs are absorbed somewhere, and where ever they go there goes the wealth. Ultimately, unless the USA finds a new industry (dominated by men, women, whatever, just something) the USA's economy will depreciate significantly. It's not that men are not working, it's simply that wealth creating jobs are disappearing and being replaced by wealth cycling or wealth consumption .. helps the GDP in the short term, destroys the economy in the long term.

-Impacts on society, i.e., men waiting longer to start familes or not doing so at all; men not developing cruicial skills when young, etc.?

My wife wanted to wait till I get a career again to have a family, my rationale however is that while I'm working for my self and not a 8-5 corporation .. what's a better time? Why can't guys be stay at home dads? I think that is the best part about this economic situation, the number of kids that will grow up having a parent home with them (assuming the father takes on the responsibilities)

I know our society has a very negative image on fathers, and seeing that change with a generation growing up being raised by dad instead of mom .. well, I think it will be an interesting Human experiment to observe.

-Anything else?

Working women almost certainly caused the credit crunch

I had a good job doing set ups for a plastic co. for 9 yrs. making 21.97 an hour and that job went overseas. I had a severance pay for 6 months and that ran out and then i went on unemployment.
A long story short. I lost my house and was forced to leave by sheriff and went to court and had to file bankruptcy because of all the mounting bills. including medical. I finally got a job a year and a half later in plastics,but not what i wanted, i had to take the job because i needed to sustain myself.
I had to move in with sis to help her out with her house payments, so at least one of us could keep their home.
I had to take the wopping 9 an hour because almost all jobs go thru temp services first and alot of times they let you go.
I still have no medical and i have a heart condition and still looking to do set ups again, but times are tough on me and I still young yet and walk like an old man. oxegen problems.
Anyways, EVEN if i made $13 an hour it would be hard to live on my own. EXAMPLE: 9hr times 40 hours = 360 minus taxes $65 fed,$40 state,medical $20 so minus $125 from 360=$245 a week after such=$980. a month for bills. OK, BILLS. Rent:$850 now i have $130 left, OK,Phone $50. now i have $70.to pay the electric bill and i am short and i have car insurance to pay yet and i need money for gas to work.What am i to eat on? WHAT A JOKE.
OK, get a roomate to help with rent $850 divided by two=$425 a month. OK, back to bills. Rent $425,phone $50, half of elect of $90=$45,gas car to work $45 a week times 4=$180, food prices now $200, OK , I'm left with $80. to spend a month on other things like care insurance, usually more bills.
SO TELL ME, BUISNESS PEOPLES. How is one to survive on $9 an hour without having some person you have to live with possible? So all of you making 9 an hour are all screwed like me. I FEEL YOUR PAIN.
Now what if a person had children that they had to take care of? HMMMM let me guess, food shelfs,assistance of some sort,and you walk to work right. That is not a life I would want and i am sure you do not want either for you or your child. SO, $9 to $12 an hour for a single person living alone with a $850 rent apartment is out of the question.
People who make this need roomates and we all know how that ends up.
We are in an economic slump and yet the RENT, or HOUSING prices never go down with the economy, they just get higher.
SO TELL me BUISNESSES how are we supposed to live on these wages?
We have to go thru temp. services because the buisnesses do not want to hire you and let you go after a certain period of time or you stay thru the temp service hoping to get hired and never do. REASON: Buisness likes cheap labor that they do not need to pay health insurance on.
SO ALL YOU people out there have to look forward to this type of activity. HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
OK, now with all that in mind and even more bills, they want to raise TAXES and get rid of your social security. They overspent and misbudgeted the money all over the place and we the people have to bail them out. HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL?
NOW, i am not talking about generation jobless. They have to deal with this mess also. HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL? FED UP.

reply to post by cloaked4u


Use paragraph breaks. That way we can read whatever it is you're saying.

(thank you for fixing it )

reply to post by Rockpuck


I'm sure everyone understands what i put down. When the buisnesses go, we loose. END OF STORY. All around.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Maybe this type of vitriolic insult of a complete stranger trying to express his frustration with a situation that cannot be fixed by normal means is why you don't make as much as your girlfriend.

Honestly, you can't raise kids with that type of stuff.

The important thing is that you are both on the same side, so put your verbal weapons away.

Why kick a guy when he is down? That is exactly what we are all complaining about, in this place, together. If he needs to vent, let him!