The Slow Disappearance of the American Working Man

The portion of men who work and their median wages have been eroding since the early 1970s. The portion of men holding a job -- any job, full- or part-time -- fell to 63.5% in July -- hovering stubbornly near the low point of 63.3% it reached in Dec 2009. After a long decline in men's work opportunities, the recession worsened things with a sharp drop in male employment. Pres Barack Obama is expected to propose tax incentives for employers to hire workers, a reduction in payroll taxes employers pay, and spending on infrastructure. The short-term fixes the President proposes may provide much needed relief for the millions of people looking for a job. The danger is that the fixes will work just well enough to let America pretend that the real problem is no longer there.