Declining Male Workforce Participation: The Story is Not Simple

NPR had a piece on how the percentage of prime age men (ages 25 to 54) in the workforce remains low, despite the relatively strong labor market. While the basic point is true, there are a couple of important qualifications. First, this is not a new story. The share of men who are employed has been dropping for a half century. The second point is that, contrary to what is implied in the piece, the decline in employment rates has occurred for men at all education levels.

On the first point, if...