Men And Work

It used to be, before women entered all arenas of the workplace, that any man who could hold a conversation could get a middle class job at a corporation and hold onto it for life. He didn't have to work too hard, excel at his job, or do much other than what was asked of him - sell wigits, process orders, whatever. He could get away with chatting up sports, just be one of the guys, go home, raise his family and that was that.

Back then, over qualified women were teachers and nurses and secretaries.

Now those average performing men can't get work because they are booted out of their jobs by more high performing women. Is this good? Sure. It proffers all the benefits of capitalism and competition - women who excel can move ahead. Corporations are better off because they have better, higher performing workers. The glass ceiling for women are for the most part removed. Competent women snag jobs from less competent people - men and other women.

So all these great jobs women are holding aren't created out of the ether. They are all jobs once held by men - arguably men of less competence. What happened to all these guys? I suspect they are middle class men, who raise families and help out around the house. I suspect they are probably all around decent fellows whose wives bring home the bacon. They retire early or get pushed out for younger folks who work better with computers.

Smart women, who once would become great public school teachers or nurses, now work it whatever they choose. I suspect this is a large reason why both the healthcare and education sectors of our economy are suffering to this day. Because historically, both sectors were benefiting from having a cheap supply of overqualified labor - women.