Happy Monday to you! Let’s get your week started with some need-to-know numbers.
Where have all the prime-age men gone? About 1.4 million men aged 25-54 have left work since before the start of the Great Recession. The most common reasons they cite, according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, include illness or disability, attending school, or dealing with home responsibilities. One University of Maryland economist argues that “indolence” is the issue, while other experts are calling that reasoning too simplistic. Instead, low wages, inadequate hours and deteriorating skills may be the prime factors preventing these men from returning to the workforce.
One organization is actively trying to help the disadvantaged: The Oasis Center in Nashville, Tennessee, set up a one-night slumber party aimed at counting the number of homeless youth in the city. Figuring out how many homeless people are in an area helps a city win a larger share of federal grants and Nashville officials said there could be up to 3,000 homeless people up to age 24 in the area — but only 200 were counted last year. At the Oasis event, guests were treated to a talent show, karaoke and free food.
Definitely not usually a free food: meat. Meat consumption could cost the global economy up to $1.6 trillion by 2050, according to a recent study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Atlantic reported that if the U.S. followed recommended guidelines, the country could save $180 billion by 2050, and $250 billion “if it eschewed animal food products altogether.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified when prime-age men left the workforce. The correct information is 1.4 million have left the workforce since before the Great Recession started. The text has been corrected.
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