Dossier
San Francisco Fed
Coverage of San Francisco Fed in the Nexus archive.
- Why men keep dropping out of the labor force: It starts in childhood, when kids see how males around them struggle, economists say
The male labor force participation rate in the U.S. has declined over generations, with economists attributing this trend to childhood experiences where men observe weak wages and high unemployment among other males. A new study by University of Connecticut economists suggests these early observations shape pessimistic expectations about work, reducing labor force participation later in life.