by Caitlin Kenney

Adam Blank writes:

Planet money indicator - Sweaters. My child goes to private school in Manhattan. When he first started kindergarten only the mothers were dropping the kids off, or dads in suits. As the semester progressed I have noticed a sharp rise in the casual sweater wearing male. I am guessing that a lot of private schools are going to have a hard time holding on to a portion of their students.

 

Adam's letter reminds me of an article in this Sunday's New York Times, Daddy's Home, and a Bit Lost. This part of it really jumped out at me.

At his local Y.M.C.A., the out-of-work Masters of the Universe and the professionals who relied on those huge salaries — architects, landscape designers and high-end contractors — can be found pumping iron together at 10 a.m.

"A lot of them have a deer-in-the-headlights kind of look to them," he said. "If you have a massive mortgage and your wife has been out of the work force for a decade or more, being laid off can seem crushing."