American men’s work rates have fallen relentlessly since the 1950s, with prime-age male labor force participation now approaching Depression-era lows—a trend political economist Nicholas Eberstadt has spent decades documenting. In this episode of Terms of Engagement, Eberstadt joins hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to unpack how this quiet collapse in male employment has shaped not just the economy but American manhood itself, eroding the social role and cultural expectations long tied to work. They discuss links between “un-working” men and the rise of populist politics in the U.S., why this trend remained hidden in official unemployment statistics for so long, and what it reveals about the fraying bonds between work, dignity, and civic life.
About our Guest:
Nicholas Eberstadt is a political economist at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes extensively on demographics, economic development, and international security. Domestically, he focuses on poverty and social well-being. He has written a number of books including “Men Without Work,” “A Nation of Takers,” and “The Tyranny of Numbers.” He has offered invited testimony before Congress on numerous occasions and has served as consultant or adviser for a variety of U.S. government agencies. Eberstadt earned his PhD in political economy and government and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an AB from Harvard University.