Why a growing number of California men without college degrees have abandoned the job market
California men who don’t hold college degrees have been abandoning the labor force in growing numbers because their high school education hasn’t secured the good-paying jobs they seek, according to researchers at the Public Policy Institute of California.
Between 1992 and 2023, the state has seen an increase in the number of men attaining college degrees, the PPIC found, and their level of labor market participation remained relatively unchanged at 94% during their prime working years.
But the employment rates dropped precipitously among their counterparts, ages 25-54, who had less education. The employment rate for men with some college experience, fell to 85% from 94% in the period.
Roughly 91% of men with high school diplomas or an equivalent found jobs in 1992, but that figure slipped to 84% last year. Among men who didn’t graduate high school, the rate of employment fell to 83% from 87% over the period.
PPIC researchers Sarah Bohn, Hans Johnson and Julien Lafortune convened a group of policy experts, practitioners and advocates to discuss those trends, and that conversation revealed both barriers these men face from a young age and opportunities to get the skills required to earn a better living.
Whether they’re at mid-career or in the educational system, these boys and men need guides or navigators who can:
▪ Point them to resources or offer budgeting plans to overcome financial challenges.
▪ Explain how they can recover from youthful mistakes that may have resulted in fines, criminal charges or incarceration in the criminal justice system.
▪ Show them the pathway to a reputable training program and support them as they go through it, whether that be an apprenticeship, a college certificate or degree, or the coaching to pass state licensing exams.
Another potential roadblock, the researchers said, is financing the training or continuing to pay bills while they are training.
“Men with less education struggle to find stable, remunerative careers,” the researchers said. “This challenge is heightened in sectors that are evolving due to technology, international trade and automation.”
Encouraging careers in the trades
In Sacramento, the United Way California Capital Region teamed up earlier this year with Sacramento-based nonprofit Green Tech and the Center at Sierra Health Foundation to begin training 25 local youth to position them for jobs in the clean tech industry.
And, in the construction trades, young people can find earn-while-they-learn apprenticeships that pay $22 an hour or more to beginners. AGC Construction Education Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the state’s largest construction trade organization, has created a program called Build California to identify, develop and guide newcomers into the field.
Every month, Build California holds an online informational session where they can provide an overview of job possibilities to high school or college students as well as to mid-career workers looking to switch careers. The next session will start at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
After individuals express interest by signing up on the website and attend their first informational session, Build California has “a dedicated counseling and placement team” who do one-on-one intakes and work to place novices in apprenticeships or other training programs that they know to be reputable, said Yuhi Aizawa Combatti, director of workforce development for AGC of California.
“A lot of high schools have eliminated career and technical education programs or have cut back on those programs,” Aizawa Combatti said. “I’m an older millennial, and my entire generation has really missed out on having the access and visibility into those types of trade careers as an option in high school.”
The Building California team tries to help each newcomer find a career where they feel comfortable, she said, and they lay out what kind of earning potential the various jobs have. They also offer wraparound services to help individuals who have a criminal history or who have been incarcerated.
“We partner with a number of organizations that focus on re-entry for incarcerated folks and job rehabilitation,” Aizawa Combatti said, noting that they have worked with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and the Flintridge Center.
“Training programs are not always effective or easy to navigate, and people often must begin with earning a GED,” Bohn, Johnson and Lafortune wrote, and “incarceration can worsen gaps in digital access and skill, which are key components in today’s labor market.”
To get notices about upcoming events, go to buildcalifornia.com/sign-up/.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 10:59 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct when Build California’s next online information session is. It is Wednesday.
