Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has voiced concerns regarding the state of male employment in the United States, attributing the issue to the economic policies of the Biden-Harris Administration. In an article published on Fox News on September 6, 2024, Rubio stated that "the percentage of men aged 25-54 who report working at all…[is] comparable to the share of American men working in 1940, at the tail end of the Great Depression."

Rubio highlighted that higher costs have exacerbated this situation. He noted that "even before the most recent spike in inflation…, the median male worker could no longer provide a middle-class lifestyle for his family." According to Rubio, the number of weeks required for a median male worker to afford such a lifestyle increased from 40 in 1985 to 62 in 2022.

The senator criticized the administration's response, stating that it has "merely pretend[ed] the problem away." He pointed out that manufacturing employment has "flatlined and decreased last year," and real hourly wages were lower as recently as July than when President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office in 2021.

Rubio also mentioned that "employment of native-born Americans, women as well as men, is actually 208,000 below its pre-pandemic level." He added that by the end of 2023, U.S.-born men without a college degree were less likely to participate in the labor force compared to pre-pandemic levels. Rubio attributed this trend to what he described as deliberate policy decisions, including "the 'willful failure to secure the southern border and misguided expansion of immigration programs.'"

To address these issues, Rubio proposed several measures: doubling down on pro-American industrial policies, promoting vocational training in high schools, and eliminating marriage penalties in the tax code. He emphasized that married men earn more and report greater happiness than their unmarried counterparts.

However, Rubio expressed skepticism about whether these steps would be taken by the current administration. He warned of catastrophic consequences for society if these issues remain unaddressed, citing a high male suicide rate exceeding "23 people per 100,000."

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