Men’s Falling Labor Force Participation across Generations

Bengali, Leila; Duzhak, Evgeniya A.; Zhao, Cindy

Journal Article

Men’s Falling Labor Force Participation across Generations

Abstract: The labor force participation rate for prime-age men has been declining for decades. About 14% of millennial males at age 25 are not in the labor force, compared with 7% of baby boomer males when they were that age. This generational gap declines substantially as groups approach middle age; the decline reflects that younger millennials enrolled in postsecondary education at higher rates and moved into the workforce later than prior generations. The convergence for millennial males suggests that the trend of men’s higher nonparticipation rates may slow in the future.

Keywords: labor force participation; millennials; baby boomers; employment;