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In 1969, 96% of men between the ages of 25 and 54 participated in the labor force. By 2015, that rate had fallen to under 89%. The [136]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics studied two generations of non-working men. The first group was made up of men born between 1960 to 1964. The second group of men between 1980 to 1984. Across both generations, the nonworkers had some attributes in common. They were more likely to be unmarried and living with their parents than their working counterparts. "They have lower AFQT [Armed Forces Qualification Test] scores. They're less likely to have a bachelor's degree, more likely to have lower levels of education," says Donna Rothstein, a research economist at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "It's not that they were more likely to be enrolled in school or something else that might indicate that they were doing some other activity." The decline in manufacturing jobs has hit men and women without a college degree the hardest. File photo from Sept. 18, 2019, at the Puckett Machinery Company in Flowood, Miss. The decline in manufacturing jobs has hit men and women without a college degree the hardest. File photo from Sept. 18, 2019, at the Puckett Machinery Company in Flowood, Miss. Nonworkers were more likely to be black. About one-third of nonworkers were black. While the biggest employment drop is among less-educated men, the troubling trend now seems to be occurring among women as well. Female employment rates rose beginning in the late 1960s, but then started dropping. "Since about 2000, you're also starting to see declines in participation of prime-age women, especially less educated women," says Katharine G. Abraham, author of the study and a professor of economics and survey methodology at the University of Maryland. "So you're kind of seeing some of the same things that have been happening for a longer time to men, also beginning to happen to women." A changing labor market, particularly the steep decline of manufacturing jobs in the United States, has hit this group of workers particularly hard. "If you're a less-educated worker, it used to be that you could get a good job. Maybe you'd work in manufacturing, maybe you'd work in construction. You could have a good job without necessarily having a college education. But the labor markets really changed," says Abraham. "For a lot of these less-educated men and, women, both of their opportunities in the labor market are less good. They can't expect to earn the same kind of living that their fathers might have." File -- Almost one-fourth unemployed US men born between 1960 and 1964, don't work because they are in prison, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. File -- Almost one-fourth of unemployed US men born between 1960 and 1964, don't work because they are in prison, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts suggest that the rise in incarceration, and the growth in the number of people with prison records, negatively contribute to the ability of some of these non-working men to get a job. "People who did not work in the prior year were more likely to be interviewed while they were in prison," Rothstein says. "Twenty-four percent of the people in group one [men born between 1960 to 1964], almost one-in-four, didn't work because they were in prison." Researchers have also studied the possible impact of the opioid epidemic on labor force participation. More than 130 people in the United States die each day after abusing opioids. [137]Opioid overdoses caused more than 42,000 deaths in 2016. "We know that they're correlated, but what I think we don't really know is whether the opioids are causing the lower labor force participation rate," Abraham says. "For some people, it could make it more possible for them to work. If they're better able to control pain." Laid off workers in Louisiana line up for job searches after the steel mill where they worked unexpectedly shut down, Oct. 1, 2019. Laid-off workers in LaPlace, Louisiana, line up for job searches after the steel mill where they worked unexpectedly shut down, Oct. 1, 2019. Abraham, who has [138]authored a paper on the decline in U.S. employment, says it's important not to underestimate the impact that increasing globalization is having on men and women who are supposed to be in the prime of their working lives. Solutions for tackling the problem could include making sure young people are educated to acquire skills that will serve them well in the labor market. Older workers might need to invest in shorter-term skill acquisition. "Maybe we could think about wage subsidies for people. We've done that a little bit in the past with people who are displaced due to trade," Abraham says. "Maybe we could think about expanded public sector employment investment in our deteriorating infrastructure...if you think about government solutions, then you're talking about really investing in these people." Related Stories Personal care products on a store shelf in the Washington area, Oct. 17, 2019. [139]All About America [140]Does 'Pink Tax' Force Women to Pay More than Men? Research shows that women pay 13% more than men for comparable personal products Default Author Profile By [141]Dora Mekouar Thu, 10/17/2019 - 20:49 FILE - In an undated file photo, Ruth Parrington, librarian in the art department of the Chicago Public Library, studies early Sears Roebuck catalogs in the library's collection in Chicago. [142]All About America [143]How Sears Catalog Fought White Supremacists By the late 19th century, slavery was over, but the American South was still rife with discrimination and in justice Default Author Profile By [144]Dora Mekouar Thu, 10/03/2019 - 14:45 **FILE** A range of General Mills products line a grocery shelf in St. Paul, Minn. [145]All About America [146]Having Too Many Choices Is Stressing Americans Out People tend to feel defined by the options they choose Default Author Profile By [147]Dora Mekouar Tue, 09/24/2019 - 19:00 FILE - This Feb. 16, 2017 file photo shows newborn babies in the nursery of a postpartum recovery center in upstate New York. According to a government report released Wednesday, May 15, 2019, U.S. birth rates reached record lows for women in their teens and 20s, leading to the fewest babies in 32 years. [148]All About America [149]US Kid Population Shrinking Faster than Expected Last year, America's birth rate dropped to its lowest number in 32 years Default Author Profile By [150]Dora Mekouar Fri, 09/20/2019 - 14:01 Default Author Profile Written By [151]Dora Mekouar (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) [152]Twitter [153]Instagram [154]Facebook [155]YouTube [156]RSS Search VOA News ____________________ (Submit) Search * [157]United States [158]US Politics + [159]Immigration + [160]All About America + [161]Silicon Valley and Technology * World News [162]Africa + [163]The Americas + [164]East Asia Pacific + [165]Europe + [166]Middle East + [167]South & Central Asia * Sections [168]Arts & Culture + [169]Day in Photos + [170]Economy & Business + [171]Extremism Watch + [172]Press Freedom + [173]Science & Health + [174]VOA StudentU + [175]VOA Connect * Voice of America [176]About VOA + [177]Contact VOA + [178]Terms of Use and Privacy Notice + [179]Get Our Mobile App + [180]Usage 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