WQLN PBS NPR
8425 Peach Street
Erie, PA 16509

Phone
(814) 864-3001

© 2026 PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Why Are 6.7 Million Working-Age Men in America Not in the Labor Force?

Season 2027 Episode 9028 | 17m 44s

In the United States, one in ten men of prime working age are unemployed. According to a new article in The Atlantic, the jobs exist… but the incentive to work does not. The phenomenon is most prevalent among white rural men. Brent Orrell and Keith Humphreys join Michel Martin to unpack what's really driving men's disconnect from the world of work.

Latest Episodes
Paul Krugman; Keith Humphreys; Brent Orrell; Lina Attalah
Jennifer Siebel Newsom; Barbara Kingsolver; Jim Morrison; Jimmy Chin
David Urban; Wolfgang Ischinger; Stephanie Flanders; Zarina Zabrisky; Rana Foroohar
Rahm Emanuel; Mia Mottley; Edward Luce; Ali Vaez
Kai Bird; Tanaz Eshaghian; Wilbert Cooper
David Sanger; Timothy Snyder; Yousef Jabareen; Anshel Pfeffer; Ken Griffin
John Kerry; Emily St. John Mandel; Benjamin Wallace-Wells
Anne Applebaum; Dr. Jean Kaseya; Dr. Catherine Smallwood; Heidi Levine
Nadav Eyal; Shira Efron; Ali Ansari; Chrystia Freeland
Susan Glasser; Lawrence Wright; Lisa Lerer
Extras
Ski mountaineer Jim Morrison and director Jimmy Chin discuss their film, “Everest: The Other Side."
Rana Foroohar discusses her book "Sea Change: America's New Great Game in the Arctic Circle."
Rahm Emanuel weighs in on Democrats’ midterm wins and what comes next for Pres. Trump.
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin discusses Trump, the economy, education and American politics.
Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine recounts being brutally beaten by West Bank settlers.
Benjamin Wallace-Wells discusses the state of the GOP in the leadup to the midterms.
Chrystia Freeland discusses her new book “Unreliable Boyfriend."
New York Times reporter Lisa Lerer discusses Idaho's abortion ban and the upcoming ballot measure.
Aaron Glantz and Sophie Hills discuss AI companies' efforts to influence the midterms.
Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes discuss their film "One in a Million."
WQLN PBS Passport is a member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming!