American TV host and philanthropist Mike Rowe believes there’s a “horror story” unfolding in the American labor market.
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“The stat that sticks with me and worries me today is 7.2 million able-bodied men, today in their prime working years, are not only unemployed … [they’re] officially not even looking,” he said in an interview with non-profit Moms For America.
Rowe did not provide a source for this statistic, but the number of prime-age men (ages 25 to 54) not participating in the labor market was around 7 million in March 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There is no information on whether they are “able-bodied” or not.
Rowe also pointed to the shortage of tradespeople in the U.S. and said the nation’s labor force is “wildly out of balance.” Here’s why many men have abandoned the formal economy.
Able-bodied men? Not really
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), men between the ages of 25 and 54 saw their labor force participation rate drop from 98% in September 1954 to 89.1% in March 2025.
To understand why men in their prime were participating less, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) conducted a survey in 2024.
Fifty-seven percent of prime-age men not seeking work cited physical, mental or behavioral health reasons. Close to 30% said they are not working by choice, and 9% said they are busy caring for others. "This was significantly different from men who are looking for work, of whom only 16% said their physical or mental health was the main reason they were out of work," said the study.
Put simply, men who are not employed and not looking for work may not be as “able-bodied” or mentally fit as Rowe assumes. However, his thesis about an unbalanced labor market seems justified. Men seem to have acquired skills that are no longer a good fit for the labor market.
Fortunately, there are solutions for both issues.
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Solving the male participation crisis
Since mental and physical health concerns are keeping many men out of the workforce, a better framework for supporting employees in the workplace could address some of the participation challenges.
A majority of men (52%) not looking for work in the Bipartisan Policy Center survey said that better health insurance coverage from their employers would be an important factor for them to consider going back to work.
Between 40% and 47% also said they would like to see paid sick leave, accommodations for disabilities, flexible working arrangements and mental health benefits.
Meanwhile, Rowe is trying to address the talent gap by compensating young Americans who try to gain new skills and enter sectors with severe talent shortages.
His foundation, mikeroweWORKS, has given out nearly $12 million in scholarships to over 2,000 recipients across the country since 2008.
President Trump recently signed an executive order titled “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” to expand the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeships program.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
