Adrian Ma was answering the zero-sum claim that women entering the workforce hurt men, which economists call the 'lump of labor fallacy'. He says studies show women's employment has helped men overall by growing household income and the economy.
…disabilities, veterans, caregivers, people with criminal records, they all have distinct obstacles that deserve intentional solutions. And so caring about those realities doesn't require pretending male labor force disengagement is irrelevant. And, you know, workforce strategy isn't a zero-sum,
you know, sort of empathy contest. And the labor market isn't a zero-sum pool with a fixed number of jobs. Economists call that the lump of labor fallacy.
And economic studies show how over time, women entering the workforce has actually helped men overall by increasing household incomes and growing the economy. After all, workers aren't just workers. They're also earners. And earners become spenders, and spenders increase demand for products and services, which leads to more jobs.
The point is, there is room to grow the pie. And Drew says bringing more young men back into the labor force requires a multi-pronged approach. One would be promoting career paths beyond traditional college. We spend so much time talking to boys about college when we really should talk to them about
work instead. Apprenticeships, community college, certifications, skilled trades, right? The objective is fewer dead ends between school and work.
Two, Drew says, our traditional notions of what constitutes men's work need to expand. As a society, we've gotten better about encouraging Tina, she can grow up to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. We're less good at telling Timothy he can also be a teacher or a nurse.