Workers

Washington Post - The share of American men in the labor force reached a record low this spring, fueled by baby-boomer retirees and young men who are dropping out to study or because they are disabled or sick. (The only time it has been lower was during the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.)

The labor market has weakened since early 2025, with most job opportunities concentrated in areas typically dominated by women, including health care and private education. At the same time, several male-dominated industries, including manufacturing, transportation and mining have shed jobs, leaving a mismatch between typical skill sets and job opportunities for men.

“It’s not all retirement and education. … There are guys just dropping off the planet. They’re not looking after their kids. They’re not in school. They’re not in the labor force,” said Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan. “Across the board when we look at men, we see challenges that they face that leave too many men disconnected.”

....The downward turn in 2026 deepens a decades-long slide for men’s participation in the workforce. Among men 16 years and older, 67 percent were working or looking for a job in April, down from 73.5 percent two decades earlier.

The Hill - The U.S. economy added 115,000 new jobs in April, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department, beating the expectations of economists. The jobless rate held firm at 4.3 percent last month. Economists expected the U.S. to have added roughly 67,000 jobs in April, according to consensus estimates.