Millions of working-age Americans, especially men, have stepped away from the nation’s workforce in recent decades, according to new research from the Center for Immigration Studies. The study, led by Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler, reveals that a rising share of native-born Americans are not participating in the labor market, a trend that has reached historic levels.
Back in 1960, only about 11 percent of working-age American men were out of the labor market. Today, that number has nearly doubled to over 21 percent. When focusing on men between 25 and 54 years old—the age group considered most active in the workforce—the share not holding jobs has climbed from just 4 percent in 1960 to more than 11 percent now. In simple terms, millions of prime-age American men have left the workforce over the last 65 years.
The researchers point out that if the participation rate among U.S.-born men aged 16 to 64 were the same in 2025 as it was in 1960, there would be 8.9 million more men working. Even returning to participation levels seen in 2000 would add more than 4 million men to the labor force.
This trend raises important questions about the ongoing debate over immigration in the United States. Some argue that high levels of immigration are necessary to fill jobs that Americans won’t take. But Camarota and Zeigler highlight that the job market already has millions of able-bodied, native-born workers who are simply not employed or actively seeking work.
They suggest that before increasing immigration, the country should focus on policies that bring more native-born Americans back to work. This includes reforms in welfare, addressing the opioid crisis, rethinking globalization, and reducing legal immigration. The researchers warn that ignoring this issue will mean facing the social and economic problems connected to a large number of working-age Americans remaining outside the labor force.
As the nation looks for ways to boost its workforce, these findings suggest that tapping into the potential of native-born Americans could be a key part of the solution.
