Gotta love how they interview everyone for this piece except men between 25 and 54 who are not working. 😂

My husband is in his prime working years and has applied to hundreds of jobs without any offers. He's qualified, he's skilled, he has experience but at 50+ he seems to be ignored. It's infuriating and quite frankly depressing. Most of the corporations are lying. They don't really want to hire. They make it look like they want to hire but prefer to make one employee do the work of three for the pay of one.

I can tell you as a college graduate in "Prime working age" corporations aren't hiring like they say they are.

Men who worked hard used to be rewarded with a home, wife and a family. Now we get none of those things. Why would I work for a society who’s robbed me of the American dream.

They made a whole segment about the wave of men leaving the workforce and they couldn't even find a single one to interview. Top notch reporting right there.

Gotta love people working in television and management explaining why people don’t want to work harder in harder less glamorous jobs than they do.

This makes me so sick. It's like they're blaming people for not wanting to work for slavery wages

Men are checking out of work, relationships, and society in general.... is it really that surprising that when you degrade someone long enough, they finally check out

This is MISINFORMATION. They didn't ask: "What is your hourly pay rate? Do you offer Health Insurance? What are the RENTS in the area? What's the CRIME rate in this area?" I lived in the Philly area for 30 years. The wages are TERRIBLE...and the rents are HIGH. Many are struggling to survive on $15 per hour - or LESS. But the CBS journalist, who makes a GREAT salary, somehow neglected to ask the MAIN questions! We're being abused, economically, then LIED TO by the Media - then told that men are LAZY! Unbelievable! Additionally, older people, who apply for work, are discriminated against. Why? Their HEALTH CARE costs more. So employers higher YOUNGER people - even if they are less qualified. NO ONE EVER addresses that...but it's true.

This is such bull, I spent my entire 20s trying to get an apprenticeship in the labor industry, hundreds of applications and never even got call backs, when I finally got into a contracting job(which was the only thing I could get into) they lowballed us and paid us basically minimum wage until the company went under, after that I got a job working from home that paid more than double what I was making as a contractor. These companies abused their workers and underpaid them for decades and now they're all in shock that no one wants to work for them, hah

As a former laborer of many industries from welding and mechanics to hvac, to construction and even tree trimming from power lines, I realized that one employer was charging other corporations $200 per hour for my labor and skill while I was barely making a living wage. Over the years I paid the ultimate price as now I have physical and health issues from asthma to chronic arthritis in my back with zero cartilage remaining between my vertebrae. I live with constant daily pain that requires a daily steroid just to minimize inflammation. I can no longer keep up with my children or live a fulfilling life and I am only in my early 40's....all to make someone else more rich while we are taken advantage of and left struggling to provide generational wealth for our families. I feel many men are realizing this and are fed up. Don't get it wrong though....... I am not sitting around watching tv or playing games living off of the system......in 2021, I enrolled myself back into college to get retrained for a more suitable skill for my physical issues and I am looking forward to getting back to work again, but I am done with making less than desirable wages or wages that just meet the cost of living requirements that keep me trapped in the revolving door of the middle class. In the field of Cybersecurity, I pray that I will not have that issue for a long time.

People are finally starting to catch on to the fact that this whole "labor shortage" is manufactured. I've applied to tons of jobs after moving recently, and getting a response is one in twenty, it feels like, let alone an actual interview. These companies have realized that they can still operate under staffed and pay one person to do the jobs of 2 or 3.

Been a contractor for thirty years, manual labor, own my business, never had employees, it's very hard work. I regret giving up some of my prime years just to participate in this economic structure. Men are getting tired of all work and no play, I know I am.

The employers created this problem, the workers didn’t. No one’s buying it. From age 16-21, I struggled to find employment, and so did my peers. That was a major factor in my decision to join the military. Years later, honorable discharge in hand along with certifications… I dealt with worse employment opportunities than I did before I left!! It was infuriating and confusing. You want workers? Train them. You want to keep workers? Give them benefits and treat them right. But step one is opening the door

How dare they say that men in their prime are choosing not to work. It is the employers who pay low wages, have you work more than one position, cut corners in trainings and safety measures and don't provide quality benefits. Treatment is poor and morale is low.

its a mystery why men in their prime dont want to work??? how about the fact that it costs so much more to have a family yet the jobs pay you so little. You have to put in 90 hours a week just to get by and then have to beg for a raise. We are sick of it. You dont want to pay us? Fine. Do the job yourself.

I retired early because I was being paid for one job, but doing two other jobs that were higher paid positions. They use you and then spit you out. Stand your ground workers!

Talk to the workers, not the employers. They will tell you the truth. Just make sure you blur their face

Working hard used to mean getting ahead. We also worked hard for the good women in our lives. Both are gone now so why work yourself to death if it's for nothing 🤷

At 40 with a degree in chemistry and physics I couldn’t even get an interview with hundreds of resumes sent out so I eventually had to become self-employed until I retired so much for the labor shortage

I'm in this demographic and I'm calling BS on this "nobody wants to work" crap. It should be noted that these are mostly manufacturing and skilled labor jobs - exactly the kinds of jobs they steered us away from since the 60s in an effort to force us to transition to the college educated, digital future. Men in labor jobs were constantly being told these kinds of jobs would be obsolete because they would soon be replaced by computers or robots. "Better to have a solid college degree and move to "safe" corporate America" they said. They closed down most of all the trade schools and offered few options except corporate related , higher education options. You couldn't get a good job or a promotion without a college education. Consequently, generations of men, especially younger men, have moved on from labor related, manufacturing and trade fields. How many plumbers, electricians or brick layers or factory men have you met lately that are working in those "dirty jobs"? These companies are busy complaining when they should be advertising and offering training. What kind of investments have they made in making sure they even attract employees? Do they offer any incentives to grow and build with the company? They want to capture all the worker bees and then want to claim all the honey for themselves. To postulate that 7 million men are lazy and sitting on their butts is utter bulls--- and wholly misinformed. (There ain't that much welfare or "rich uncles" available to support such a situation.) Young men used to be forced to take labor jobs because that's what was mostly available. There are so many more off-the-radar and non-traditional opportunities available now, especially online (which is how I work, in my own business), so now there is heavy competition for workers. Younger people are creating their own new jobs and job categories and are not chasing money and lifestyle as a sign of success or the traditional "American Dream". Companies like these are so used to "fishing in a barrel' for workers and now that the barrel is dried up, they are complaining. In reality, they are reaping what they sowed: nothing. It's like my Grandpa used to say, "They should get off their butts and get out there and hustle for a change!"

This is the equalivanet of saying "millions of cows are leaving the plantation". We really are livestock to rich people. No wonder why they make it illegal to sleep in your car

I know a local company that placed a worker over 60 in a job that would be difficult for a 25 year old. The supervisor said, "You're mine now." They clearly wanted to push him out bc of his age. And they did. The company displayed a callous attitude toward his experience, good work ethic, and honest questions about this unwanted placement. I hope such age-ism goes publicly and privately punished. Corporations do not deserve the same rights as living, breathing people, since they never will need to suffer the human condition. "Just go get another job," is a response that is ignorant, willfully blind, callous, cruel, and inhumane, just like the arrogance of the board of directors.

Most people are sick of killing themselves for scraps while companies make millions in profits

People aren’t lazy, but they definitely aren’t dumb. Who wants to over work themselves for low pay. If these jobs were so great the would provide enough pay for a family of 4 to live comfortably off of one income. If more companies started investing in their employees and paying them well, had good benefits they would have people fighting to work there. The problem is not lazy men. It’s companies not appreciating good workers and creating a strong workforce. The problem is GREED 👏

what can I do? I have been disabled since 2009 and I am 58 years old at the verge of retirement. My portfolio of $750k is down to $492k, How can I profit from the present market" , I mean I've heard of people making up to $250k in couple weeks during this crash and I'd like to know how.

They never talk about the real problem. People are tired of working for narcissists and working for other people's products for less. Unless we start creating equal incentive and accountability at work, then this WILL NOT GET BETTER. There are a few corporations controlling everything and none of us want to live in that economy

I don't blame people for sitting out. I have 2 college degrees, work +40hrs a week and can't afford to move out my parents house. Lord knows my employer gets more out of me than I do out of them. So sick of these rich media figures blaming people for not working terrible jobs that would only let you live paycheck to paycheck with roommates.

Maybe these corporations should start paying these workers a wage commensurate with the revenue they generate, rather than exploiting the essential workers so that the upper management and shareholders can live like gods. The biggest difference between America now and America when it was "great" is the level of income inequality.

It's not a man problem. It's a corporate greed problem

The woman says the guys not working is “unattractive.” She seemed to miss the part about women not even considering to swipe right on guys with certain jobs. Plenty of guys aren’t going to get even first dates if they had those jobs, or better jobs. There are plenty of segments and research of men not dating either because it’s too much hassle and women flock to very few men, including married ones. Guys would rather just not date and not put up with all the bs. If a guy works and isn’t 6’2, many women would ignore him, among other superficial criteria. Seems better to stay at home. Besides, you can’t meet women at work and if you do, it’s sexual harassment. And the grand prize of meeting the love of your life is divorce in a few years and she gets half your stuff, or more. No thanks.

Wages are the issue. People aren't lazy, theyd just rather go broke not working than go broke working 40 hours a week and STILL not cover basic needs

There is no labor shortage, only a pay shortage. I am retired marine engineer (means I can fix anything), I have an undergraduate degree in math, and two masters in science. Employers should be knocking down my door, they are not.

I quit my job as a IT due to stress. I moved to St Maarten as a bartender and loved it. I was free and happy. 2 years later, companies are calling me back to work due to high labor shortage. I guess I'm not the only guy quitting the 9 to 5.

This is hard to believe. I’ve applied to over 125 jobs since January. I have a BA and am halfway through an MS in tech. No criminal record, decent work history, and despite fielding over a dozen interviews I haven’t received a single offer. Every job I apply to already has dozens if not hundreds of applicants.

I have four college degrees, I am employed, barely making endsmeat. Some free advice for you companies, if you want the work force, pay them. If you can't find them, train them. If you want better people, promote them. It's not the work force it's you.

Another thing to consider is the damage that these jobs do to your body. You're giving up much more than 40 hours a week. You may start as an able-bodied man, but you rarely end up that way. You can be let go at any point for any reason and then be forced to limp into job interviews at 40 or 50 while competing with 20 year olds.

Pay $70,000 a year and watch them go back to work. It’s not worth going to work for $23 an hour …

If your employees aren't showing up, then you're not paying a marketable wage, lady. Geeze. What a clever twist this is. Blame the worker? No. Blame the Pilfering owner class.

Working what they call it a "normal" job here on Florida pays $15/$16/h. Rent for a one bedroom apartment is close to $2000 a month. The numbers just don't add up, and that's probably the reason many people gave up on the idea of working and building something. It's just impossible nowadays.

I recently worked a temp job at a factory printing food packaging. Half of the production lines were down because there weren't enough employees but all of the mid-level management supervisor safety coordinators and others were still there and had been there for years. There was literally one guy whose job it was to go around and take pictures of trash cans to see if people were throwing away gum wrappers or any other band materials but half of the prices were down so he was taking pictures of empty trash cans. There was also a floor manager that I saw watching me for hours who could have easily done what I was doing. If all of the supervisors were working the floor all of the presses would be operational right now for no extra cost.

A lot of employees will post ghost positions just to see what the labor pool looks like incase they need to hire someone quickly or to determine what they want to pay.

I worked in a plastics factory in South Carolina.They were fast pace, high stress jobs .We were often forced to work 12 hours a day and 7 days a week or get fired.Also, people got fired for the slightest reason, such as being late or out sick too much or dozens of other minor infractions.The stress drove many to quit.The reporters sitting in their comfy chairs and pretty clothes missed this side of the story. Also ,the pay was good but benefits such as health care ,etc. were constantly being cut. The company owned you.

I was very offended by all this. This is exactly how the rich and growing up privileged look at the poor and not privileged.

Sucks to work 60hrs a week and still have to stress about bills

Why should you work when the pay is so low you can't afford a house and the bank is charging more for people who are poor simply because their jobs have been pulled overseas

As soon as factory wages hit $30/hr the factory moves.

I noticed that the female employer in this story said that her lack of 15 employees was costing her company an additional $5 million in lost revenue. That comes out to $333,333 per employee. What proportion of that third of a million per employee is the company paying to the workers? The crickets are deafening.

Biggest problem is poor management. I've worked for companies with high turnovers due to a terrible manager that never gets fired.

This is what happens when you are not allowed to progress. This is what happens when you are treated like replaceable commodities.

In 2023, the quickest way to go broke, is to work a regular, full-time job. The cost of living has risen to the point, that a regular job will not even afford you basic necessities.

What they won’t tell you is that they only want “prime age” working men with 5+ years of experience. I can guarantee you there’s probably dozens of applications from young men looking to enter the workforce or those who want to begin a new field that completely got glossed over. I can’t blame these men, after hundreds and hundreds of rejections it takes a hit at your confidence and begins to feel pointless.

A lot of people want to be their own boss these days. They don’t want to get pennies while making their bosses millionaires

The problem now is men would rather find ways to make alot of money working for themselves rather than working many hours barely making it while making alot of money for someone else. The problem for employers that is!

Most of us CANT FUCKINGFIND ANY JOBS.

I am a 47 year old lifelong aluminum factory laborer and am tired of Mike Rowe and his babble. An older gentleman on a youtube comment summed it up best. He said: " Back in 1979 I had a buddy who laid track for Union Pacific and he made 12 Dollars an hour! You could buy a new car back then for 3 thousand. Fast forward 43 years later , that job pays 18 or 19 an hour while a new car is around 30 thousand. Figure it out." Nail on the head!

I laughed at this story almost as much as I did at the "journalism" about "quiet quitting" 😂

Could have fooled me. I've applied for hundreds of jobs since earning my MBA and never heard back.

Let's not forget about the biggest risk men face in most of the workplaces these days: false accusations.

For me I can only say it doesn’t seem like a good idea to put my time & energy into a company that at any time could let me go. I watched too many people I love give their all to an org that just left them in the dust the moment they got sick or there was a change in management. These guys missed the mark on this report. There’s more going on here than the “lazy man” narrative they’re pushing.

How much does the job pay? What kind of health insurance is provided? Do these corporations provide training? Is there any kind of matching 401k? The devil is in the details. Oh, but if you don't take our low paying dangerous job with crappy benefits, you're lazy!

Female hypergamy is a huge contributing issue as well. Women now make as much as men but won't date a man in a manufacturing job who makes less than they do. Until women accept men with lower paying jobs, women will overwork themselves while caring for their 40year old sons who will grow up to become the types of men they won't date. 89% of school teachers are women. 90% of gender scholarships are reserved for women. Vast majority of divorces still unfairly award custody and payment in favor of women... We've created a world where women now have the advantage from birth, yet they won't date a disadvantaged man. Why is this relevant? Men without families or women, have no purpose. Nothing is more dangerous than a society of men without purpose.

their is no shortage of skilled workers people are just tired of hearing hard work pays off to live in poverty forever

So the lady mentioned $5 million lost because of 15 employees. The problem is that those 15 employees would only get a very tiny fraction of that $5 million. If they’re lucky. CEOs keep making millions and workers still aren’t making what they should. 30 bucks an hour is not enough in 2023. 🤷‍♂️

not an employee shortage... a shortage of well-paying and GOOD jobs

"Not pay, but perception" is why many men aren't taking these jobs?! I think not. $30-35 an hour for back-breaking work that destroys the body in a few years is an insult and inhumane. Pay $50-55 to start with proper training, then I think you'll find a long line of interested, high-potential applicants.

The wages aren't worth it, the wages aren't worth it. The wages aren't worth it the wages aren't worth it

I’m a 49 year old man. I’ve been working since I was 14. A lot of us are just exhausted & need a break.

People are fed up with decades of abuse from these greedy corrupt corporations and are just leaving the traditional workforce altogether because we have no choice. If you want any chance at retirement you have to leave the traditional workforce

Funny how underpaid wages isn’t meant at all. Making men want to find ways to make money independently without ruining our bodies permanently, especially while a high number of our female peers can live off of something like onlyfans without breaking a sweat

1.5 jobs for every 1 worker is bs. Employers want 20 years of experience for something that has been out for only 2 years.

A lot of corporate America has treated workers so badly for so long, that I think a lot of people are burned out. Also corporate America has mainly forgot how to treat people well. My dad was a forklift driver and when my mom went in to labor, dad's work was called, they did not tell him till his shift was over, and my brother was already born.

What Mike Rowe doesn't talk about is how for the past 50+ years, the US has exported manufacturing jobs and provided ZERO incentive for young Americans to go into the trades. Factory after factory was shut down. Construction workers were getting laid-off en masse whenever their was a recession. This caused a culture where families do not encourage their kids to go into the trades - and for damn good reason - for the past 50 years, trade jobs have been an insecure career path. You have no right to blame "screens" and laziness of young people.

This is precisely why I'm grateful to have spent my 20's eschewing relationships, university, getting my own home or car, and living out my dreams traveling. I haven't traveled as many places as I'd like, but I'm grateful that I didn't waste my youth buying into this b******* idea that because I'm a certain age, my life has to be a certain way. I have all of my life to be married and to worry about having a home or a car, but I only have so many years where I will have the energy and freedom to truly do what I want.

Its so nice to see men are looking after themselves. Quitting the soul crushing 9-5 job and dropping out of society is the best thing they could of done for themselves. Men should work part time, they should take tempoary and seasonal jobs, they should stop worrying about the future and live for the moment.

It took me 6 months to find a good paying job. And of the 3 years I lived in Portland, this was my first in-state job within my career. I don’t know where they’re getting their info from. But I would’ve gladly worked a $35/hr job that gave me 40 hours per week. Sadly, I only found jobs paying half that needed help with part-time hours. And after income tax? I’m barely earning enough for food, health insurance and gas for the month. And that’s why there’s a shortage of workers. Agree with everyone’s comments here.

When I graduated high school in 1999, all the manufacturing jobs in Maine were gone or going away. The wood mills were moved to Canada, the shoe factories and others to China and Mexico. Yeah the jobs are coming back due to deglobalization and baby boomers retiring and the need for new supply chains but the last two decades manufacturing wasn't there. When America deindustrialized in the 80s nobody cared about the shattered communities and the legacy costs of the New poverty, but now there is a lack of workers for business they now care. 😕 grrr

Life is too short to waste working. Be free, live your life, and die happy. The best things in life are either free or very cheap. You can work a couple of hours a week self employed and get by just fine. Who on earth would want to bring children into this sick, decaying world at this point. I don't blame anyone for laying flat and fighting against the system. Good on them.

Pay a livable wage and this problem goes away

The problem is they want people to work with years of experience instead of taking the time to hire and train. So I call BS I see it everyday! Let’s not forget child care in this country

Part of the problem is that Companies DO NOT TRAIN their employees anymore. They expect employees to KNOW EVERYTHING from jump and do not develop anyone anymore, beyond meaningless PowerPoint presentations or on-line training. Also, most companies have no qualm shipping jobs abroad and leaving their employees on the sidelines…

How about the job post that says entry level 15+ years experience required. Masters degree preferred. Starting salary $12

I've applied to hundreds of manufacturing jobs through the black hole job lottery websites and all I get is rejection notices. I have an associate's degree and years of electronics manufacturing experience. Guess they're waiting for the Chinese and Indians to get here!

Okay thanks Bob the builder for lecturing us on why we need to work ourselves to death for no change in upward mobility.

I was able bodied. I was college educated. I was highly skilled. I was fired. I said to myself, never again will I put myself in the position to have a company have complete control over whether my family has a roof over their head and food in their stomach. It’s the most humiliating and embarrassing feeling not being able to provide for your family. Now, Im an independent insurance agent. On a bad day, I make around $1,200. On a good day, I make around $3,500. All while working under 40 hours a week. It’s not that we’re not in the workforce, it’s that we’re not in the traditional workforce.

I dipped out when I learned I could work for 50 hrs a week and still not afford a house and live while the boss makes record profits..

He only works them for one day 😂😂😂😂😂

These days working a full time job with a bachelors degree is almost not enough to even afford rent!!! Let alone raise a family and buy a house? It would be better if NONE of us worked until the corporate fat cats squealed for us to come back and make it worth it

So, you thought getting a celebrity to come on national tv and call 7 million men lazy and entitled was a good way to boost your company's workforce? Let me know when all those new job applications start rolling in. SMH

The problem is the pay. Motivation comes from excitement. You have to make prospective employees excited enough to want to come to work.

Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

Might have to do with the fact that 60 % of young men in the US are single and apparently not evne trying to get dates and a girfriend or a wife. And, a woman in his life has always been one of the greatest incentives for a man to go out and achieve. Without that incentive it doesn't come as a surprise that a considerable number of men is not very motivated.

You told an entire generation not to take these jobs because they'll eventually get automated. You steered us away from vocational and technical schools and encouraged us to go to 4-year colleges. But no, let's all pretend we don't know how this happened 😑

This is a perfect example of corporate media and how it "doesn't" get to the truth of the issue.

very typical for CEOs to gaslight. they know the more people they can get into this type of job the less they have to pay. If you pay them well they will come.

Physical jobs are a dubious proposition since most companies aren't paying pensions anymore. There is only so much daily physical labor any individual body can suffer before it starts to break down. If you want work horses you have to pay them even after they go lame. Unlike horses you can't send men to the glue factory once their productive life is over.

Biggest problem about getting old is they don't want to hire someone that knows all the employer dirty tricks already. And the young managers only come up with the same old scams.

Supply and Demand applies to employees too. If potential customers weren’t buying your product, what would you do? Make the product better. You can always make a job better - pay more, improve working conditions, etc etc. Entrepreneurs must take responsibility for every aspect of their business

The jobs don't pay enough anymore. You used to be able to buy a house and support a family on a manufacturing job. Not anymore. Now you can't afford to get an apartment without a roommate.

I remember being in my 20s seeing entry level jobs requiring 5 years of experience. Then once I got into good paying jobs, in my late 30s and early 40s, here come the layoffs to be replaced by cheap labor. At the time my last job laid a bunch of us off, they were advertising how many open jobs they had.