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humanrace.Asofrightnow,that'salittlelessthantwotenthsofapercentofthehumanrace.
Overtime,thetotalpercentageofpeoplewhowereemployedhasvariedbasedonanumberof
factors:http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2011/05/EMRATIO_Max_630_378.png
Startingin1975,thetotalnumberofpeopleintheUSwhowereemployedstartedtoclimbup
from56%to65%bytheyear2000.Thatincreaseisalmostentirelyduetowomenjoiningthe
workforceingreaternumbers.Duringthegreatrecession,thatpercentageplungedandputus
backatthe1977number.Thedifferenceis,nowthepeoplewhoareunemployedaremen,not
women.
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130806.htm
Attheheightofthecrisis,themaleunemploymentratewas10.5%,whiletheunemploymentrate
forwomenwasonly8%.Womenarealsoincreasingtheirwages,whilemen'swagesare
decreasing.Thisispartiallyduetothefactthatwomenhavetraditionallybeenpaidlessthan
men(whichischanging),andthatwomenareincreasinglygraduatingfromcollegewhilemen's
enrollmentandgraduationratesremainstagnant.
http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2014/03/06/womenscollegeenrollmentgainsleavemen
behind/
Thereappearstobesomesortofhardcaponcollegeenrollmentratesformen(around60%),
whilewomencontinuetoadvancetoward100%enrollment.Ifcurrenttrendscontinue,
employmentratesformen(currently53%oftheworkforce)maycontinuetodeteriorateuntilthey
makeuponly37%oftheworkforce(orless).That's25millionmenwhowillneverbe
employablemorethantwicethenumberofpeoplecurrentlylivinginpublichousingandinthe
TANFprogram*combined*.
Withautomationeliminatingemploymentpossibilitiesforthosewithoutproductiveeducations,
somesortofpostscarcityarrangementmaybenecessarytoprovideforthat40%ofmenwho
areincapableofcompletingacollegeeducation,justastherearealreadyprogramsinplaceto
provideforotherpeoplewhocannotbeproductiveenoughtosupportthemselves,suchas
prisoners,veterans,retirees,thedisabledandchildrenlivinginpoverty.
Asimplesolutionwouldbeformenwhodon'tgotocollegetostayathomeandraisethe
children.Thiswouldmakeiteasierforwomentoadvancetheircareers,itwouldreduceoverall
expendituresonthingslikechildcare(improvingtotalqualityoflife)anditwouldgivemen
somethingtodoallday.Thismaynotbeasustainableoption,however,aswomenwithcareers
arelesslikelytohavechildren,arelikelytohavefewerchildren,arelesslikelytogetmarried,are
likelytogetmarriedlaterinlifeandareincreasingtheirearningcapacityatsucharatethatthey
canaffordtohireamorequalifiedbabysitterthanaguywhocouldn'tgetintocollege.
http://www.economist.com/news/unitedstates/21569433americasmarriageratefallingandits
outwedlockbirthratesoaringfraying
Outsideofsomelargescalesocialwelfareprogramformenwhoareincompatiblewiththe
postautomationeconomy,theloomingunemploymentcrisismaybeexplicitlyand
catastrophicallymale.