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EXPERT: Young Men In 'GREAT DEPRESSION' Level Misery

2025-11-19 News & Politics
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Breaking Points
Breaking Points
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America's Hidden Labor Crisis: Deconstructing Young Male Work Stagnation and Social Fallout

Discover why historical employment metrics hide a Great Depression-scale crisis among prime-age American men. Learn how disconnected labor statistics fuel societal despair and amplify future economic uncertainty.

Short Summary

  • The current unemployment metric fails, consistently missing over three-quarters of the problem pool.
  • Work rates for men aged 25 to 54 now match levels last seen during the tail end of the Great Depression (1940).
  • Community success rates vary wildly, often showing deep disparities within the borders of a single state.
  • Isolated, disconnected men often suffer loneliness and despair, leading to increased substance dependence.
  • Data collection must modernize to effectively track reintegration strategies for the large population of ex-felons.

Nicholas Eberstat shares data analysis illustrating profound stagnation in prime-age male workforce participation dating back to the 1960s. This segment stresses that federal reporting structures fail to capture men who stop looking for work entirely, masking a systemic national issue tied to de-industrialization and social fragmentation. Addressing this requires localized study and skill development mandates.

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Description

Ryan and Emily discuss the crisis in young American men. America's Human Arithmetic: https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/americas-human-arithmetic/#:~:text=In%20America's%20Human%20Arithmetic%2C%20Eberstadt,their%20human%20arithmetic%20lays%20bare. Sign up for a PREMIUM Breaking Points subscriptions for full early access to uncut shows and LIVE AMAs with the hosts every week: https://breakingpoints.locals.com/support Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/ To listen to Breaking Points as a podcast, check them out on Apple and Spotify Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-points-with-krystal-and-saagar/id1570045623 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kbsy61zJSzPxNZZ3PKbXl Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Breaking-Points/61575893472315/ #news #politics #youtube

Top Comments (10)

@ELGUAPOIV 2025-11-19

If you don’t have a chance of winning, most people won’t play the game.

1.1k 98 replies
@SpookScore 2025-11-19

“But the S&P is higher than ever”

536 18 replies
@intricatic 2025-11-19

I can confirm. I'm getting sick of this stupid absurd economy.

518 31 replies
@sya54b7n 2025-11-19

no prospects at a family will do that to a mf

441 57 replies
@greywolf7807 2025-11-19

Since the Reagan era, the political program has been on targeting unions, keeping the minimum wage low, gutting the education system, and providing little funding to mental heath. Layer on top of that new technology intentionally designed to actually harm its users, and the chickens have some home to roost

401 49 replies
@CyranoForever101 2025-11-19

I got my associate's in 2011, my bachelor's in 2014, and my master's in 2020. At no point did these degrees ever help me find a job, nor did the jobs I found pay me extra, nor did they improve my shot at management And this was all pre-AI. I'm 35 and unemployed. How on earth are Gen Z and A gonna look forward to the future when stories like mine are prevalent?

227 32 replies
@orionhauk2968 2025-11-19

What part of "The blue and red have created an economic and housing crisis on behalf of Wall Street" do people not understand.

206 16 replies
@jaredmotomoto 2025-11-19

I think it’s all men. Not just young. I’m 51 and the job market for me is HORRIBLE. After a year of looking for Sr. Copywriting roles I changed careers to healthcare. And I can’t tell you the ridiculousness I’m dealing with in cancelled interviews, ghosting and more.

128 12 replies
@NathanAnderson-o3i 2025-11-19

This is hilarious. The guy works for the AEI. The world we live in is what the AEI advocates for. Less gov regulation, lower taxes with fewer exemptions, low cap gains tax, a low/no min wage, weak labor unions, for profit healthcare, reduction of gov social safety net programs, etc. These young men are living in the misery think tanks like the AEI have fought for for 50+ years.

74 7 replies
@Shrimpy_Al 2025-11-19

Imagine struggling through you're 20's never able to escape a poverty trap while you work as hard as you can to dig yourself out, you pivot when you hit a dead end but it just keeps happening over and over. Treated like crap by almost everyone, you're alone too. Living in America as a poor guy is emiserating. Tons of guys (and girls too) don't have to imagine.

62 18 replies

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