Fewer U.S. Males Are Working, and It's Not Just Because of the Economy

Disability is contributing to a steady decline in the number of men in the American workforce: In 2012, 3.1% of working-age males were receiving federal disability benefits, up from 1.9% in 1982, according to National Academy of Social Insurance data cited by CNN. Other factors in the decline, aside from recession and downsizing, include increasing rates of incarceration. Just 88% of men ages 25 to 54 are participating in the workforce today, down from 97% in 1956.