The Male Recession

It seems to be a guy thing. Men are losing jobs daily while women seem to be gaining them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, men have lost over 700,000 jobs in the last eight months while woman have gained nearly 300,000. What seems to be the problem in this employment slump for men? Unfortunately it has to do with the industries that men are concentrated in.

Men currently have the misfortune of being concentrated in the two industries that are doing the worst right now: construction and manufacturing. On the flip side, women are currently needed in some of the most demanded industries which include health care and education. Women are graduating from college at higher rates than men and possess soft skills such as sensitivity, willingness to learn, and team work which employers look for in potential employees. Furthermore, men are facing the problem of rejoining the workforce after long periods of unemployment. It is much harder for men to be making $25 – $30 per hour and suddenly have to settle for $10 an hour at a lower job. For men this seems like an ongoing downward spiral.

However, not all is great for women in the workforce. While they possess job security they receive a severely lower income then their male counterparts. There is an expansion of jobs for health aides, retail clerks and child-care workers, but usually these jobs are low-wage, dead-end, and have no benefits. The jobs women are landing aren’t necessarily good ones.

While manufacturing is made up of over 70% males and construction is over 80% males, a tremendous number of men have to face unemployment and choose new career paths. Women seem to be snagging the jobs in today’s workforce and even though they might not be the best jobs out there, at least they have jobs.