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The Rise of Men Who Don't Work
The New Yawk Times ^ | 12/11/14 | Amanda Cox

Posted on 01/27/2015 6:48:16 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin

At every age, the chances of not working have changed in the last 15 years. Teenagers are far more likely not to work. Older people are retiring later and working more. In the ages in between — the periods of life when most people work — the changes have been smaller, but they are still substantial.

In the late 1960s, almost all men between the ages of 25 and 54 went to work. Only about 5 out of every 100 did not have a job in any given week. By 2000, this figure had more than doubled, to 11 out of every 100 men. This year, it’s 16. (People in the military, prison and institutions are excluded from these figures.)

Of course, the economy was stronger in 2000 than it is today, with a lower official unemployment rate — the share of people not working and actively looking for work — than today. But for prime-age men, the rise in official unemployment explains only about one-third of the increase in not working.

The remaining two-thirds is made up of those who are not working and not looking for work. Every month, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics ask these men who are not in the labor force to describe their situation. Are they disabled, ill, in school, taking care of house or family, in retirement, or something else? Here are the trends within some of the larger of those categories:

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: dsj02; economy
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To: coop71
why can’t the men who are home - and not working - pick up the slack with washing dishes and cleaning the house?

I retired years ago. I still do some part time work because people keeping calling me. However, I'm more than happy to do most of the housework, cooking, shopping, etc. while my wife works long hours as a nurse.

61 posted on 01/28/2015 8:20:42 AM PST by oldbrowser (We have a rogue government in Washington)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

My favorite slob.

62 posted on 01/28/2015 8:21:36 AM PST by freedomlover
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To: oldbrowser

That’s fantastic! And fair. My parents always shared housework. Thats funny about people still calling you. You must be very good at what you do.

I do all the housework and outsource the outside work because my husband can, but doesn’t want to do it. Granted, I’m a stay at home mom and my husband works/travels quite a bit.


63 posted on 01/28/2015 8:35:39 AM PST by coop71
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To: coop71

“Anyway, if these non-working men are already home, and their spouse is working (to avoid that pile of laundry and unloading the dishwasher, of course) the men at home can pick up the messes and clean.”

Sure they can, but my point is that those men can’t generally survive by doing work that women used to. A woman used to be able to keep house and take care of those duties, while the man would work and provide.

Now, two incomes are a virtual necessity, so a man doing housework is not replacing that missing income. They are essentially a drag on the household and many women will, sooner or later, cut them loose. Women still have the additional value provided by their sexuality, to help offset that effect. They can bear children, so men are less likely to simply end a relationship because a woman loses a job and becomes a financial burdern.


64 posted on 01/28/2015 8:37:25 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: freedomlover

Mine, too! “Keeping Up Appearances’ is a favorite at our house. Just so silly! :)


65 posted on 01/28/2015 10:03:50 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: elcid1970

I recently spent a week there, and nobody was following me to check if I spit on the side walk or threw a cigarette butt carelessly. It was very safe walking there after dark. I visited the Chinese area, little India and the Arab Bazaar. Even the immigration officer was very friendly in extending my friend an extension of visitor visa.

But what struck me the most was the world class infrastructure. It is now a very prosperous country, unlike N. Korea.


66 posted on 01/28/2015 2:15:26 PM PST by entropy12 (Dumb and Dumber to borrow money from China to protect oil flow to China from middle-east.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
I remember my folks paying 18% on the mortgage and 25% on credit cards...!

Remember when the interest on credit cards was tax-deductible? :-/

67 posted on 01/29/2015 4:42:41 PM PST by Does so (SCOTUS Newbies Imperil USA...)
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To: Does so

I do. The only thing keeping me ahead of taxes on my farm mortgage is that it’s still deductible. The minute it isn’t, I’ll have to sell.

And I know I’m not alone in this...


68 posted on 01/29/2015 7:12:43 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: ClearCase_guy
the people on "Hazel" seemed rich to me as did every single sit com or tv show.....middle class did NOT have maids....

drs and lawyers were RICH and maybe they had maids....

69 posted on 01/29/2015 8:55:06 PM PST by cherry
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To: oldbrowser

funny, every single study says that women who work away from home typically still do MOST of the household work as well.....


70 posted on 01/29/2015 8:57:42 PM PST by cherry
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To: coop71

Oh I know. I do it daily, lol. Or rather, I did do it daily but now I make the rest of the family who live in this house contribute. It’s an ongoing struggle.


71 posted on 03/01/2015 9:33:45 PM PST by Twink
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To: DesertRhino

I agree. It’s also imposed an additional burden on women.

I come from a family where both parents had to work to make ends meet. However, it’s not like today, in my family. There’s so much going on it makes it hard to have any down time. I went back to work because it was a necessity.

It’s not worth it, imo.


72 posted on 03/01/2015 9:44:43 PM PST by Twink
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