Guys working at big tech companies in particular should think carefully about the differences they’re likely to encounter between working the Bay Area versus working in those same companies’s New York City offices. The book, read properly, tells you where you should think about living and/or going to school. For women the simple takeaway might be: Silicon Valley, Seattle, and Denver are waiting for you, since in those areas straight women will have more market power than straight men. Birger also notes that there “is an assumption that the perceived shortage of college-educated men is actually a mirage.” Except that Birger says it’s not a mirage: there are more single college-educated women than men, especially in particular cities (like New York).įor men the simple takeaway might be: move to New York or an equivalent city with many more women than men in it. Apparently there are relatively few members of that last group: “I realize that most people do not want to think about supply and demand when contemplating matters of the heart.” Perhaps is right, but rejecting knowledge seems to me like madness. Then there’s the math that says that a woman’s good looks can keep men from approaching her-particularly if they feel the odds aren’t in their favor.įortunately, there are also solutions: what college to attend (any with strong sciences or math), where to hang out (in New York, try a fireman’s bar), where to live (Colorado, Seattle, “Man” Jose), and why never to shy away from giving an ultimatum.Date-onomics is charming and worth reading for anyone who is single, who is at risk of becoming single, or curious about how markets are created and how people interact with markets in this domain.

This unequal ratio explains not only why it’s so hard to find a date, but a host of social issues, from the college hookup culture to the reason Salt Lake City is becoming the breast implant capital of America. Among young college grads, there are four eligible women for every three men nationwide. The shortage of college-educated men is not just a big-city phenomenon frustrating women in New York and L.A. Two, knowledge is power, so here’s what to do about it. It’s a fascinating, if sobering read, with two critical takeaways: One, it’s not you. Using a combination of demographics, statistics, game theory, and number-crunching, Date-onomics tells what every single, college-educated, heterosexual, looking-for-a-partner woman needs to know: The “man deficit” is real.

It’s not that he’s just not that into you-it’s that there aren’t enough of him.

Jon birger date onomics