Young men in America are less active in the workforce, less educated and more lonely. Here's why

Home alone and not up to much

Men aged 18 to 30 spend more waking hours alone than women, per the AESG. As of 2023, men spent an average of 6.6 hours alone each day compared to 5.4 hours for women.

The analysis also shows the average time young men spend alone went up during the pandemic and hasn’t meaningfully fallen back down. Time spent alone for men went from 5.6 hours per day in 2019 to 6.4 hours in 2020, 6.6 hours in 2021 and 6.9 hours in 2022.

“This increased isolation contributes to weakened labor market prospects through a narrowing of social networks,” the study said.

The numbers also went up for women during the pandemic, however, they always remained below the men.

Some of these young adults may be spending time alone while living with their parents as well. Among men aged 25 to 34, as of 2023, 19.7% still lived at home, compared with just 12.3% of women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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What's up, man?

So what’s behind some of these startling figures?

The AESG suggests technological disruptions and competition from low-wage overseas workers have reduced economic opportunities for non-college educated men.

Shifts away from traditional gender roles and single-earner family structures may also play a part, University of Maryland family science professor Kevin M. Roy explained to The Wall Street Journal, as well as fewer opportunities in male-dominated industries such as manufacturing.

Increased isolation during the pandemic may have also had a disproportionate effect. Men rely more on face-to-face interactions to maintain social connections, and have a harder time rebounding from loneliness, Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, told The Journal.

Several young men interviewed by the publication expressed frustrations about finding purpose in their lives. Daniel Moreno, who says he “felt so, so lost” before dropping out of college five years ago, hopes to go back some day and study a subject he’s passionate about, but feels unable to drum up the motivation.

“Nothing is really stopping me,” he told The Journal. “It’s just myself, standing in my own way.”

Editor’s note, Nov. 25, 2024: This story has been updated to clarify the college enrollment figures above apply to those who just graduated high school.