A millennial left her job in 2015 to pursue college because her career growth had stalled.
But he has struggled to find a job since graduating and finds himself saddled with student debt.
He is one of a growing number of American men who have, at least temporarily, left the job market.
In 2015, at age 34, Dan Colflesh decided to leave his job in the customer service industry and pursue a career University diploma.
“I moved up the ranks at a few companies, but always faced obstacles in promotions because I didn’t have a college education,” he told Business Insider via email .
In 2021, he earned an associate’s degree in physics from a Massachusetts community college and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. But the additional training did not help him much in the job market and left him struggling with student loanshe said.
“No one will hire me,” he said. “My bachelor’s degree is worth next to nothing.”
Colflesh said he had been look for a job over the past few years and has applied for over 100 jobs. But he said there were periods when he felt “defeated,” during which he paused his research for a few months at a time. Additionally, he said an injury delayed his search for a few more months.
While the male unemployment rate in the United States is weak Compared to previous decades, Colflesh is one of the men who has had difficulty finding work – or who has had difficulty finding work. I completely stopped looking. In 1950, about 97 percent of American men ages 25 to 54 were employed or actively seeking work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By January, that figure had fallen to around 89%.
Among the many explanations for this trend is the fact that in recent decades it has become More difficult landing a well-paying job without a college degree – a development that is contributed to some men who leave the labor market. These challenges persists today for men, who now represent less than half of those enrolled at university, even if more companies started hiring candidates without degrees.
Some men aged 25 and over are not in the labor force because they pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher education. But as Colfesh can attest, having a degree doesn’t guarantee success in the job market.
Over the past year in particular, it has become more difficult for some Americans to find well-paid jobs. A recent Breakthrough report found that the hiring rate remained stable over the past year for workers who earn less than $55,000 a year, but fell for workers in the top third of earners, who earn more than $96,000 dollars, at its lowest level since 2014.
Today, Colflesh is still focused on finding a job. He shared the application strategies he tried, why he thinks his job search was so difficult, and what he plans to do in the future.
Experience requirements and employment gaps could work against him
Colflesh said he thinks one of the reasons his job search has been difficult is that the employment landscape has changed in recent years.
“Once you could have a bachelor’s degree in any field and get a good-paying job,” he said. “Now you have to have an insane experience,” he said.
He said that made it difficult to get a job with his political science degree, but he didn’t want to take on more student debt to pursue higher education. So he decided to continue his job search, broaden his search and refine his application strategies.
He tried tailoring his resume and cover letters to each employer and applied to some jobs that didn’t require a degree, but he said he still had little luck. For example, he said he applied to become a cashier at two liquor stores with recommendations from employees, but was unable to get an interview.
“I constantly hear from employers that no one wants to work and I desperately want to work, and I can’t get anyone to sit down and talk to me,” he said.
Physical limitations would make it difficult for him blue collar job, he said. He is also autistic, which he believes could contribute to his difficulties in the job market.
“I’m still going to appear obnoxious to most non-autistic people,” he said. “The general lack of acceptance of autistic people makes social networking difficult and this impacts job opportunities.”
Colflesh has a few other theories as to why his job search was difficult. He thinks he might be too honest in his CV – he’s seen research that many people distort the truth. He also believes that he lives in an area where “what you know matters” and that not having grown up in the community has put him at a disadvantage. Furthermore, some employment gaps on his resume may not be doing him any favors, he said.
Finally, he said he grew up in the Appalachian region of the United States, a region that has struggle economic growth over the last decades, has constituted an additional obstacle.
“I would say the No. 1 factor in financial success is the zip code you grow up in,” he said. A few research suggests there might be some truth to this.
Colflesh said he, his fiancé and his daughter lived with his future mother-in-law in Massachusetts and his fiancée and her mother paid the bills.
His student loans brought him about $5,000 each semester for living expenses, which he said he used to help his family. He also received income from a “large crypto investment.”
Looking ahead, Colflesh said he recently had a second interview for a job. He also plans to return to the type of work he did before going to college.
“I will keep looking, no matter how dark things get, because I have to,” he said.
Are you a man who is not looking for work or having difficulty finding work? Are you ready to share your story? If so, contact this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
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