Jul 23, 2025
Concerns about a lack of job-ready skills have dominated workforce debates, but Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is pointing to another crisis: a diminishing desire to work.
“The skills gap is real, but the will gap is also real,” said the 63-year-old former TV host in a recent interview with Fox Business.
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According to him, 6.8 million “able-bodied men” are not just unemployed but not even seeking employment. “That’s never happened in peacetime,” he argued.
Here’s why he believes America’s famous work ethic is gradually eroding.
Men abandoning the workforce
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that women’s participation in the workforce has remained relatively stable since the early-1990s. However, men’s participation has steadily declined, dropping from 86.6% in 1948 to 68% in 2024.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), the participation rate for men in their prime working years (ages of 25 to 54) has fallen from 98% in September 1954 to 89% in January 2024.
Notably, 28% of these men said they were not working by choice, validating Rowe’s claim that the desire for employment has diminished. However, the survey also found that 57% of prime-age men cite mental or physical health issues as barriers to working or job-seeking, suggesting that many are not as “able-bodied” as Rowe assumes.
Additionally, 47% of these men cite a lack of training and education, obsolete skills, or a lacklustre work history as major obstacles to employment. Fortunately, Rowe has a solution for this specific group.
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Solving the crisis
Expanding opportunities for skills training could help bring some men back into the labor force.
Through his foundation, Rowe has given away $8.5 million in scholarships since 2008, supporting more than 1,800 men and women enrolled in skilled trades programs across the country.
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“My goal with mikeroweWORKS is not to help the maximum number of people,” he told Fox Business. “It is to help a number of people who comport with our view of the world and are willing to go to where the work is. Who are willing to demonstrate something that looks a lot like work ethic here in 2025.”
Similarly, the BPC calls for expanding Pell Grant eligibility so that more people can access financial aid. As of 2024, roughly 34% of undergraduate students receive a Pell Grant, according to the Education Data Initiative.
Expanding workplace support programs could be key to reentering the workforce for men struggling with mental and physical health challenges. More than half of prime-age unemployed men surveyed by BPC said health insurance is a major factor in deciding whether to return to work.
Other critical benefits include paid sick leave, disability accommodations, flexible schedules and medical leave. Additionally, 40% of respondents said mental health benefits are very important, and 28% said they might have stayed at their previous job if they had access to paid medical leave.
While these solutions may be complex and expensive, improving male workforce participation could yield significant economic benefits, including lower inflation and higher growth, according to a 2023 study by the Center for American Progress.
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Vishesh Raisinghani is a financial journalist covering personal finance, investing and the global economy. He's also the founder of Sharpe Ascension Inc., a content marketing agency focused on investment firms. His work has appeared in Moneywise, Yahoo Finance!, Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine and Piggybank.
