After 'mancession,' women losing out in recovery

Pew Research Center

By Allison Linn

We know the weak economic recovery hasn’t been much of an upturn for anyone who wants a job. But after a recession that was so tough on men it was dubbed a "mancession," it is women who are having by far the hardest time in the recovery.

From June 2009 –- when the recession was officially declared over --  to May 2011, men gained about  768,000 jobs, while women lost 218,000 jobs, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Pew Research Center.

That’s a switch from the recession of December 2007 to June 2009, a period in which men lost more than 5 million jobs, while women lost just over 2 million jobs, according to calculations based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The lopsided trend is something we first reported on in January.

Of course, no one is seeing a jobs bonanza, and the meager gains by men aren’t nearly enough to offset the millions of jobs that were lost. The official unemployment rate of 9.1 percent has fallen only slightly from its peak of 10.1 percent in late 2009. And whle men have done better than women in the recovery, their jobless rate is still higher than the rate for women.

Pew researchers say it’s not entirely clear why men are scoring more jobs than women in the recovery. Women have lost more jobs in certain sectors, such as government jobs. Men have gained more jobs than women in two key fields: professional and business services, and education and health services. 

Is the current job market is tougher for women than for men?

Results with 51 short comments
Total of 5,647 votes - click on the "Display Comments" bar below to sort comments

17.1%
Yes, it's tougher for women
965 votes
17.8%
No, it's tougher for men
1,004 votes
60.6%
It's tough for everyone
3,422 votes
4.5%
It's getting better for everyone
256 votes
Display Comments:
It's tough for everyone

It is tough for everybody, only now there are 2.5 times as many qualified men as women looking for a job so more jobs will go to men.

  • 8 votes
#1
 - Dave1958-2593106
 - 1:33 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

The old, invalid attitude still colors everything: men are supporting their families while women are earning "extra" money.

  • 4 votes
#2
 - Goat Rancher Bob
 - 1:44 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Even if they are being hired back at a quicker pace, the net effect of the recession has been harder on men.

  • 5 votes
#3
 - maxwello
 - 2:21 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Men lost 5M jobs while women lost 2M. But now we have to be all concerned for women because they are getting jobs as fast as men? Please...

  • 6 votes
#4
 - wjrust
 - 5:49 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
No, it's tougher for men

There are still millions of more men than women unemployed.

  • 5 votes
#5
 - Greg-871776
 - 6:58 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
Yes, it's tougher for women

It is exactly what the Republicans want. Keep women at home where they belong and in poverty!

  • 7 votes
#6
 - Tree Hugger-631796
 - 7:13 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
No, it's tougher for men

This has to be the most misleading article I've ever read. The statistics do not in any way support the message the author is trying to giv

  • 7 votes
#7
 - Regularchicagoguy
 - 7:14 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

do women ever just write objectively without comparing themselves to men ? egads, it's sickening

  • 8 votes
#8
 - flashinpon
 - 7:28 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Recovery????? What recovery? How do you have over 9% unemployment and call it a recovery?

  • 12 votes
#9
 - wlv-1393310
 - 7:31 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

It is slowly getting better but still rough for everone.Need to get Republicans off butt an pass jobs bill.

  • 4 votes
#10
 - rmccall7
 - 7:32 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

The people who it hurts the most are the older workers 50 plus, they are being left out or being discriminated because of their age.

  • 8 votes
#11
 - Laura-3089574
 - 7:36 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
No, it's tougher for men

enough already, women have had it easy (because they are educated??). more men do manual labor and yard work is coming back

  • 1 vote
#12
 - mike-2043697
 - 7:36 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
No, it's tougher for men

Fact is there are more men looking for work than women.

  • 3 votes
#13
 - stspecialk
 - 7:40 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

If more men than women lost their job isn't it intuitive that more men get hired back through sheer availability of the sexes?

  • 4 votes
#14
 - JimTN-3229159
 - 7:48 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

"June 2009 –- when the recession was officially declared over" ... declared over by whom? More MSM Pro-Obama propaganda disguised as news.

  • 4 votes
#15
 - abdufreedom
 - 8:05 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's getting better for everyone

This poll is BS the jobs are gone and once the stimulus ends it won't matter.
More jobs will be gone in 2012

  • 4 votes
#16
 - Freemannogod
 - 8:28 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

It is very hard on all of the unemployed right now. My thoughts are with everyone (male or female) facing these challenging times.

  • 1 vote
#17
 - longingforcompetence
 - 8:29 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

The true unemployment rate is at least twice that reported.

  • 5 votes
#18
 - Darthdon
 - 8:36 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
Yes, it's tougher for women

My place of business just layed off 7 employees. All women. 5 are single mothers. Very sad!

  • 2 votes
#19
 - lorelei-1142460
 - 8:36 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Stupid discussion! Divide any topic into enough groupings and you can spend your entire life 'explaining' random, spurious differences.

  • 6 votes
#20
 - Loyd Eskildson
 - 8:37 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Men will do more jobs than women, and lost jobs in greater numbers so it's natural that more men will be hired over women.

  • 2 votes
#21
 - Thorndawg
 - 8:45 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
It's tough for everyone

Isn't this old news? Maybe a lot of women are deciding it's more economical to be housewives?

    #22
     - concerned-memphian
     - 8:56 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
    It's tough for everyone

    People have to be reoriented to the new technological world. It's the 21st Century and the 20th Century mindset in job markets are over.

      #23
       - cathee the great
       - 8:58 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
      It's getting better for everyone

      I need a Mancation!

      • 1 vote
      #24
       - ChefMaddog
       - 8:58 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
      Yes, it's tougher for women

      Into the kitchen where's my sammich.

        #25
         - Ed B-592396
         - 9:10 pm EDT on Wed Jul 6, 2011
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