Getting men back to work

Work is almost universally considered to be virtuous. Thomas Carlyle asserted that 'All work, even cotton spinning, is noble; work alone is noble.” Benjamin Franklin noted that 'When men are employed, they are best contented.” And Voltaire cautioned that 'Work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice, and need.”

Indeed, work is emphasized at the federal levels. The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate: to keep inflation low but also to keep unemployment low.

Thus, the latest statistics on employment by men are distressing. According to a recent New York Times article, sixteen out of every 100 men between the ages of 25 and 54 are not employed. In 1970 fewer than six out of every 100 men did not work.

The impact on the psyche can be devastating. David Blustein noted in an article in Psychology Today that unemployment 'leads to disastrous results for many, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, relationship problems, and substance abuse.” Unemployment results in physical problems as well.

What are the causes of men not working? There are many; they include:

Increased prison population. According to Jurist, prison population is eight times as high as it was in 1970. Obviously, those in prison cannot hold down jobs. However, the impact on later employment is also striking. One estimate is that 40 percent of ex-cons are unemployed.

Loss of manufacturing jobs. Manufacturing has traditionally been a haven for men with less than a college education. In 1970 almost 25 percent of the U.S. jobs were in manufacturing. In 2008 the rate was down to 8.7 percent.

The trade deficit. In 1970 the trade deficit was only about $2 billion; in 2013 the deficit reached $475 billion. Estimating the job losses from the trade deficit is difficult, but a range of 3 to 4 million is likely. Given that many of the jobs would have been in manufacturing, the impact on employment of men is especially strong.

How can we get men back to work? Reducing the trade deficit would be a good start. Reducing the corporate income tax rate might stabilize or even increase employment in manufacturing. Another strategy would be to being repairing our badly frayed infrastructure.

The cost of repairing the one in nine bridges that are deficient would amount to $76 billion according to the National Highway Administration. Our highways are not in good shape either. A national transportation research group has estimated that 33 percent of the highways are in poor or mediocre condition. Establishing a national sales tax levied on gasoline could provide the funds to begin the repair process. Given that highway construction primarily employs men, the impact on male employment could be strong.

Fathers need to work and children need to see that their father works. We should have that as one of our national goals.

' Gary Maydew of Ames is a retired accounting professor at Iowa State University. Comments: glmaydew@hotmail.com