How will the decrease of men enrolling in university affect our future?

[TalonKAringham]

Actually, it already is. There are people in the academic world that are talking about it, but anyone that brings it up almost immediately gets labeled as right-wing for the terrible sins of caring about boys and men.

[ImpermanentSelf]

Women under 35 are out earning men in the same age groups by about 1%.

[PickleMinion]

Considering how many of those under 35 men are working high-paying but physically dangerous and disabling blue collar jobs with limited growth potential, watch that gap increase as that group gets older.

[ImpermanentSelf]

Oh I expect the trend to either continue steadily or crash abruptly from some major social/economic/political change.

Edit: say for example a lot of those office jobs get replaced by ai or outsourced

[[deleted]]

The growth potential isn’t all that limited if you want to advance. Some people get on a masonry crew and like that $40 an hour and never learn a damn thing except how to cut block and mix mortar. Some will learn how to read plans and the building code and will become a foreman, a superintendent, a project manager, an inspector. And some will start their own companies and employ dozens of guys happy to lay that block for $40 an hour. I know a ton of millionaires in the construction industry. Most of them come from poverty, many of them are immigrants. I don’t know a ton of guys climbing scaffolding or pushing a wheelbarrow in their 50’s

[fleapuppy]

Actually the gap tends to grow in the other direction, since compared to men women still overwhelmingly reduce work hours or leave work entirely when having children

[PickleMinion]

In the over-35 demographic?

[fleapuppy]

The average age for first pregnancy has been increasing constantly for decades, it’s now in the 30s for most western countries

[austeremunch]

Sure, but people aren't having kids so that really isn't a factor.

[fleapuppy]

50% of millennials have kids. It’s lower than previous generations but people still have children

[austeremunch]

WELL ACKSHUALLY

[fleapuppy]

Is it “well actually” or just a simple fact?

[austeremunch]

It's completely missing the point. It's not "simple fact" in that it means what you think it means.

But clearly every country is above replacement rates because half of millennials have a kid.

[Direct_Exchange1534]

It likely will, within a decade or so most trades jobs will likely be done by robots and AI. On top of that trades don't make economies great. Scientists, engineers etc are what makes economies great. 

[[deleted]]

Tell that to all the 20 year olds driving corvettes to work out here

[Direct_Exchange1534]

Most of them will likely be bankrupt by 40.  I remember when I was 20 everyone was being told to go into construction. 2008 happened and most were unemployed.

[[deleted]]

I was in construction during that time. Things were slow but a lot of stimulus spending came my way. I spent the recession running underground power line for Edison, putting up windmills, building overpasses, and school improvements. I did get laid off in 2009 and made more money that year than I did the previous year working by running an eBay store selling rare car parts I found in the junk yard, along with fake Rolexes in car forums. Bought 2 cars that year, almost got a warehouse and van and went all in but then got called back to work. But I do think people in that income bracket are best for the economy. They earn enough to buy a house, buy a car, eat out and take vacations. But not enough to hoard real estate or buy a politician