Facing Middle Age With No Degree, and No Wife

The New York Times reports:

Once, virtually all Americans had married by their mid-40’s. Now, many American men without college degrees find themselves still single as they approach middle age.


About 18 percent of men ages 40 to 44 with less than four years of college have never married, according to census estimates. That is up from about 6 percent a quarter-century ago. Among similar men ages 35 to 39, the portion jumped to 22 percent from 8 percent in that time.

At virtually every level of education, fewer Americans are marrying. But the decline is most pronounced among men with less education. Even marriage rates among female professionals over 40 have stabilized in recent years.

The decline in marriage can be traced to many factors, experts say, including the greater economic independence of women and the greater acceptance of couples living together outside of marriage.

For men without higher education, though, dwindling prospects in the labor market have made a growing percentage either unwilling to marry or unable to find someone to marry them.

Nothing like the Welfare State to promote this trend.Fannie Mae gives you artificially high real estate prices.Medicare and Medicaid give you artificially high health care costs.Sallie Mae and Pell Grants give artificially high college tuition.Marriage has been delayed and priced out for many.You might say the Welfare State is at odds with the family.Of course, you can't expect the New York Times to focus in on any of this.