Too many American men are spending their prime working years outside the workforce, and the cost reaches far beyond lost income.

In the mid-1950s, 97.4% of prime-age men, ages 25 to 54, participated in the labor force. In July 2026, that number was 89.2%. Put another way, the share of men in their prime working years outside the labor force has risen from roughly 1 in 38 to more than 1 in 9. I find those numbers troubling because work is more than a paycheck.

Work brings structure to a day. It demands discipline and perseverance. It gives a man the opportunity to produce something, solve something, build something and provide for someone other than himself. Work responsibility is one of the ways men develop purpose and become connected to family and community.

When large numbers of able-bodied men disconnect from work, the consequences ripple through our society. Too often, detachment from work causes detachment from responsibility, marriage, family formation and community.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics study of men ages 30 to 36 found that among those who had not worked in the prior year, 70% had never married and 30.6% lived in a household with a parent. The same study found that 40.9% of nonworkers said health limited their ability to work, recognizing there are legitimate reasons some men cannot work, and compassion demands that we recognize them. That........

© The Daily Caller