Mike Rowe, known by many as host of the popular show “Dirty Jobs” and the CEO of the MikeRoweWorks Foundation, is raising concerns about a growing segment of the U.S. population: men in their prime working years who are neither employed nor looking for work.
“There are able-bodied men in their working ages not only not working, but not looking,” Rowe said during an interview on “Varney & Co.” “That, to me, is one of the greatest alarm bells going on in the country. We’ve never seen that before, not in peacetime anyway.”
Rowe pointed to research from economist Nicholas Eberstadt in his book “Men Without Work,” who has long warned about the troubling trend. According to Eberstadt, more than 7 million men of prime working age have dropped out of the labor force entirely.
Rowe believes this problem is being made worse by a cultural overemphasis on traditional higher education, which he says steers people away from skilled trades, even as thousands of trade jobs remain unfilled.
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“Compare that to the open positions, and then just sprinkle on $1.7 trillion of student loans that are still outstanding,” Rowe said. “You can see we’ve still got our thumb on the scale.”
A study from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) supports Rowe’s concern. It found that the share of U.S.-born men aged 16 to 64 not participating in the labor force has nearly doubled over the last six decades, from 11.3% in 1960 to 22.1% in 2024.
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Industries like manufacturing, maritime and automotive are feeling the impact, Rowe pointed out, struggling to fill roles that require hands-on, technical skills.
“We’re still pushing a lot of kids toward a very expensive path, while the skills gap widens,” he added. “The skills gap is real, but there’s a will gap as well.”
Rowe has long advocated for vocational training and trade careers as a viable, and often more practical, alternative to four-year degrees. He points to recent trends suggesting that younger generations may be starting to agree.
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“The four-year degrees are trending down in that cohort,” Rowe said, referring to Gen Z. “There’s a lot more interest in electricians, and plumbers, and steamfitters, and welders and pipefitters.”
Rowe argues that this is not only promising, but essential to the country’s long-term economic health. He urges a cultural shift: instead of pressuring every student into college, society should encourage and support those who want to pursue skilled trades.
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