Employment
Men – especially working class men – are struggling in our changing global economy
In the span of only a few decades, the U.S. labor market has been transformed. As a result of structural changes in the economy–for example offshoring and automation–fewer men are working. Many of those who are working have seen a big decline in their wages.
Much of this is structural and related to trends in the economy and educational outcomes. Men make up the majority of the workers in many industries most affected by automation. Today, men are less likely than women to graduate high school or earn a four-year college degree. And yet despite strong evidence that vocational training has been shown to boost earnings for men without bachelor’s degrees, investments in these programs are limited.
Curated Content
Check out our resources related to employment
Research Employment
How pay and family patterns shape who teaches (and why there are so few men)
Michael Hansen and Diana Quintero take an in-depth look at how teacher pay and changing family patterns relate to men’s representation in the teaching profession.
Data Spotlight: Gender gaps in unpaid and paid work
Using pooled 2023-2025 time-use data, Richard Reeves and Ravan Hawrami examine gaps in the amount of time spent on housework and childcare, and in total time spent on paid and unpaid work, between mothers and fathers.
Men enter teaching to pay it forward
Ben Smith and Jennifer Seelig present findings from a study, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, on the motivations of male teachers and the barriers they faced when entering the profession.
Healthcare is the new working-class jobs engine. Can it become a career pathway for men?
While healthcare has emerged as the dominant replacement sector for manufacturing in the U.S. since the early 1980s, much of its growth is concentrated in roles that many men have not historically viewed as natural occupational pathways.
Dads are taking more parental leave than the headlines suggest
As state paid family leave programs have expanded rapidly across the United States, Anders Knospe and Richard Reeves find that fathers' leave-taking has grown dramatically, and that the gap between fathers and mothers is narrower than standard measures suggest.
What’s really going on with men and work? Seven facts
This brief provides seven key facts about men and work by mapping who is affected, tracing how trends have shifted over time, and confronting the questions we may still not have good answers to.
Higher rents keep men at home
Rising housing costs are pushing men out of the workforce as more live with parents instead of working.
Data Spotlight: Men are losing out on healthcare jobs. Is it time for action?
Healthcare job growth is reshaping the workforce. What it means for men’s career paths and future opportunities.
Data Spotlight: Gender gaps across life
U.S. gender gaps across life: men lag in education, health & incarceration; lead in earnings & employment. See the age-by-age data.
How NEETs spend their time
How young people not in work or school spend their days—and why NEET men’s leisure time and isolation matter for norms, policy, and work.
Occupations by gender: The facts
America’s workforce is evolving — gender roles are shifting, industries are transforming, and data reveals what's really driving change.
The challenges facing boys and men in Greater Boston
A new report from Boston Indicators and the American Institute for Boys and Men examines the challenges facing boys and men in Boston, particularly in education, health, and employment.
Patterns and trends in county-level sex ratios
Explore U.S. county sex ratios, revealing regional trends and social impacts. Learn how education and jobs influence gender distribution and the challenges faced by male-majority areas.
Men at work: Trends and metrics
Explore male workforce trends by race, age, and education with data on unemployment, participation, and earnings from BLS and CPS.
7 key facts about male teachers
The share of male teachers in public K-12 schools has dropped significantly, especially at the secondary level. This brief dives into key findings around the teacher pipeline.
Bridging the gender gap: Encouraging men into female-dominated jobs. An experiment in social work.
Targeted recruitment strategies, like clear job performance info, can boost male interest in female-dominated jobs, bridging gender gaps without deterring women.
The state of working class men
This report outlines the current state of America’s working class men and describes recent trends in the key areas of employment, earnings, health, and family.
Research summary: Three ideas to help boys at school
In this research summary, Richard V. Reeves proposes three distinct policy approaches to address gender gaps in education, ranging from gender-neutral to gender-based policies, advocating for interventions aimed at creating a more male-friendly K-12 education system.
commentary Employment
Why can’t some men see a way forward?
Bruno Manno examines why millions of American men, especially those without a four-year degree, have stopped looking for work, and what policymakers, employers, and communities can do to reverse this trend.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on why boys need more intentional support
Deidre Henderson explains why policymakers must be more intentional about supporting boys and helping them thrive.
More men in HEAL jobs would boost marriage rates
More men in “HEAL” jobs (health, education, and, literacy) could strengthen marriage rates by increasing economic stability and complementarity in relationships.
No, young men are not turning away from gender equality
But like many women, they have mixed feelings about feminism.
Melinda French Gates invests in boys and men: a new era for gender equality
Melinda French Gates is investing in boys and men, showing that the gender equality movement has space for men and boys without sacrificing its focus on women and girls. AIBM President Richard Reeves has been selected to direct a portion of these investments.
To save democracy, help men
Read about the link between why we should help men, political extremism, and threats to democracy.
Some news I can’t wait to share: AIBM
Why I'm founding the American Institute for Boys and Men