The Crisis of the Will to Work

Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is sounding an alarm that a fundamental shift has occurred in America’s relationship with work (MSN, November 30, 2025). According to Rowe, part of the crisis facing the United States is about the will to work, and data seems to back up his conclusion. In a recent report, 10.5 percent of American men ages 25–54—roughly 6.8 million individuals—“were neither working nor looking for employment” (CNBC, September 19, 2025). This withdrawal from the workforce represents an increasingly common decision to simply opt out of productive labor.

The figures are dismal. From 1948–2024, men’s labor force participation dropped from 86.6 percent to just 68 percent. For men in their prime working years (ages 25 to 54), participation has dropped from 98 percent in 1954 to 89 percent. More than a quarter of these men report voluntarily not working—all while the U.S. lacks skilled laborers.

What does a nation lose when its able-bodied men abandon work? Work provides more than economic productivity—it provides purpose, dignity, and structure to human life. The Bible speaks clearly of the value of work. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Before sin entered the world, Adam was given the garden of Eden “to tend and keep”—to work in it (Genesis 2:15)! Today’s generations face a choice: Will we value honest work or continue on a path where constant idleness is normal? When the will to work disappears, we risk a crisis not just of economics but of character and purpose. You can learn about the big picture and the purpose for your life by reading or listening to What Is the Meaning of Life?