Hanna Rosin

By several measures, men are in trouble. As women’s participation in the labor force climbs, men are dropping out in record numbers. That rate has fallen more than 10 percentage points over the past half-century. Economists often point to a steady erosion of U.S. manufacturing jobs, largely brought on increased international competition, which became especially pronounced after China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Women, by contrast, are not only enrolling and graduating from university in higher numbers but…

In a modern, post-industrial economy that seems better suited to women than men, many are wondering if men have been permanently left behind. Education and employment statistics point to a clear and growing dominance in women’s status at home and in the workplace. Are men primed for a comeback or have the old rules changed for good?