In the early 1950s, as many as 96% of prime working-age American men, who were between the ages of 25 and 54, had jobs. Due to a mix of factors, from the effects of recessions to those of globalization, only about 86% do today, below the OECD average of other developed countries as of 2022. The strong recovery of men working after the pandemic recession could be due to the unique nature of this downturn.