Monks, Iowa – (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – Help sought: Men. Joe Murphy, Executive Director of Iowa Business CouncilTry to understand a mystery for some time now. Murphy’s organization represents the largest companies in Iowa. The leaders, including Murphy, would like to know why some men have left the labor market. How do they support themselves? Where did they go?
It seems that there are fewer incentives not to work.
Republican legislators have reduced the amount of weeks that a person who leaves a job can receive and may force the unemployed to take paid jobs lower than before. The change occurred in 2022 when republican legislators reduced unemployment benefits from a maximum of 26 weeks to 16 weeks.
Previously, unemployed iowans had to accept a job that offered less salary five weeks after the start of services. Now it’s after a week.
Changes in unemployment rules would not seem to be an obvious reason why men would leave the labor market and could have the opposite effect by pushing unemployment to take a job more quickly.
Murphy can only speculate on what some men now do instead of presenting themselves on state employment numbers. Live savings? Residing with parents, especially younger men? Work in the saving of cash concerts and not report it? Hopefully more men do not do something illegal to make a living.
Whatever the reason or the reasons, they could limit both their future and the productivity of their businesses, says Murphy. Do not work – or at least do not report income – could limit the potential of future earnings, retirement savings and calculations of social security services.
The Pew Research Center found that men without university degrees leave the workforce at higher rates than those holding diplomas. Nationally, men in their first years of work – aged 25 to 54 – are much more likely to be unemployed than they were there are several generationsAccording to statistics last August of the American work statistics office: 10.5% do not work or do not seek employment against 2.5% in 1954.
Question: Are you a man who has left the job market in recent years before the typical retirement age? Are you out of the workforce by choice? Please send an email to Dave.price@Gray.TV and share your story.
About the author: Dave Price, from the Midwest, is the political director of the Iowa of Gray Television for nine stations that broadcast in the state and has covered the local, state and national policy of Iowa since 2001.
Dave produces and hosts “inside Iowa Politics”, a weekly and in -depth program focused on interviews with the main leaders on politics, questions, challenges and solutions that have an impact on the state.
He wrote two books on the Iowa caucus (“Caucus chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Send him an email to dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on x (twitter): @idaveprice Meta / Facebook: Davepricenews Instagram: IDAVEPRICE And LinkedIn: Dave Price.
COPYRIGHT 2025 KTIV. All rights reserved.