If you were looking for a tangible sign that the economic recovery was failing, the most recent jobs report didn’t support your cause. According to a recent CNBC report, nonfarm payrolls grew by 201,000 last month. This result compared favorably to consensus estimates calling for a 191,000 increase.
The civilian unemployment rate didn’t help the bears either. Unemployment stayed consistently low at 3.9%, matching July’s result, and bettering June figures. Additionally, average earnings increased by 2.9%, up notably from the 2.7% consensus target. All this seems positive, except for one nagging factor: male workers are missing.
Indeed, male workers have been missing in action for a considerable period of time. More than two years ago, The Atlantic highlighted this very problem. Despite fundamental steps towards recovery from the Great Recession, men have disproportionately failed to enjoy the economic rebound.
The Atlantic searched through various reasons, and have come up empty. Male workers are not enrolled in higher education, nor are they disabled. The stay-at-home dad trend that the progressive agenda have pushed for decades provides no explanation. Neither does incarceration.
For whatever reason, male workers are no longer looking for work.
No Positives for Male Workers in Recent Jobs Report
To make matters worse, in the latest read, we saw no indication that the climate for male workers has improved. While nationally we added more jobs, fewer of them are apparently going to men.
The labor participation rate for men actually dipped in August to 68.8%. In July, the rate stood at 68.9%. Granted, this is a small drop. Moreover, women also suffered a dip, and a more sizable one from 57.3% to 57% over the same time.
The key difference is that participation for male workers has dropped consistently for several months. Year-to-date, their rate has declined nearly 0.6%. For women, we see the exact opposite: an increase of 0.5%.
This trend is highly unusual. Throughout every society, and across generations, men have always worked at far greater rates than women. Although still true today, the gap is steadily declining. Should women continue to make gains while male workers lose, we’ll see a gender reversal.
Undoubtedly, that’s one of the end goals for the progressive agenda and for feminism in general. But such drastic social engineering is asking for trouble.
I don’t mind at all that we’re seeing gender equality in the workforce. In fact, I welcome it. But this movement cannot come at the expense of meritocracy, by which capitalism is based.
Walking this unprecedented road can only lead to dramatic, unforeseen consequences.
