Young men and boys lagging behind female contemporaries in pay and other ways

Young women are now consistently out-earning their male counterparts for the first time, according to a new report that warns of a growing crisis among young men. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank has published findings showing that women aged 16 to 24 in both white-collar and blue-collar jobs are earning nearly 10 percent more than men of the same age. The report, titled Lost Boys, highlights how young men are falling behind in education and employment, with growing feelings of isolation and lack of purpose.

The CSJ’s research suggests that boys are struggling from the moment they start school, with their academic progress consistently lagging behind that of girls. The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures have only widened the gap, with the number of young men aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) increasing by 40 percent since the pandemic, compared to just seven percent for young women.

The much-discussed gender pay gap has also been reversed among younger workers. In 2020-21, the average annual salary for a young man was £24,032, compared to £23,021 for a young woman. By 2022-23, male wages had stagnated at £24,283, while female earnings had risen to £26,476—a 9 percent difference.

A key factor behind this shift is the decline of traditionally male-dominated industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. The CSJ report notes that these sectors have seen a significant reduction in secure, well-paid jobs that were once available to non-university-educated young men. This structural change in the job market is leaving many without viable career prospects.

Educational disparities are also evident throughout the school system. Boys start behind girls in early years development, and this gap persists through GCSEs and A-levels, where they consistently achieve lower grades. They are also twice as likely as girls to be excluded from school. In higher education, female students now outnumber males by three to two.

The report also highlights a crisis of male role models, with an increasing number of boys growing up without father figures. It states that 2.5 million children in the UK—about a fifth of the total—live without a father figure at home. According to the report, boys are now more likely to own a smartphone than to live with their dad.

The consequences extend beyond employment and education into social and mental health issues. Boys are more likely than girls to struggle with obesity, steroid use, and eating disorders, and they account for the vast majority of youth suicides. In 2023, suicide remained the leading cause of death among young men, with males aged 15 to 19 being three and a half times more likely than their female peers to take their own lives.

The report also raises concerns about the impact of online pornography on young men’s attitudes towards sex and relationships. The average age at which boys first encounter pornography is 13, and one in four young men reportedly watch it daily. There is also a rising trend of sexual harassment by male pupils towards female teachers in schools.