More women in the workforce than men
Filed under: Career
The New York Times reports that "Women are poised to surpass men on the nation's payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in American history."But before you get too excited for how far we've come since the Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, the reasons for the shift are not exactly optimistic: The percentage of women who work is not increasing by much. Instead, layoffs are hitting men in much greater numbers because industries like construction and manufacturing have been the hardest hit -- Women are generally underepresented in those fields. Women tend to be strongly represented in areas like health care and education, both of which have so far proven to be largely recession-proof and haven't shed jobs.
The bad news in this is that women tend to earn less money than men, and are also more likely to work at part-time jobs that don't offer extensive benefits.
But in the meantime, a significant number of unemployed men are finding themselves dependent on the better sex for their dinner. The least we can do is learn how to cook it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
2-07-2009 @ 6:42AM
Street said...
no comments yet I'm surprised
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2-07-2009 @ 8:44AM
crenkitup1 said...
This economy sux! I am trying everything I can to save some money.. a great way is to cook home more... My gf (since apparently she is going to be the bread winner) bought me this cookbook called "Get in the Kitchen, BIT@HES!" (bitchcooks.com)- now whenever she comes over she says "What's for dinner BIT@H?" or " Get in the Kitchen, and make me some food, BIT@H!" .. Yeah.. real fun... so tonight, I am gonna put on the apron on the front page of the website, make her the dish called "Bend Me Over Beef" and shove it up her butt... how you like them apples, sweetie pie?
2-07-2009 @ 7:26AM
grant said...
No big surpise here, all the organizations that stop white men from working at any job that is given to women and blacks, even if the man is more qualified. The laws have given women preferences over white men in hiring, schooling etc. You can go to womens groups for jobs, education for women and blacks and if you had anything to help the white man, your sued.
I work in a place where women are promoted, not because they are smarter(not that they aren't), but due to the fact they need to hire a percentage of women over men.
Give the poor white man a little help in getting jobs also.
(OH MY GOD THATS RACIST) and don't tell me that his makes up for men having all the benefits the past 2 thousand years. I am talking about now.
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2-07-2009 @ 7:51AM
Jerry Newton said...
Grant is correct, but he doesn't go far enough. There is an active hostility toward men today. It is not limited to race. It is gender hostility.
2-07-2009 @ 8:34AM
Jamie said...
You must have forgot to read the whole article.Its because the jobs where the most lay off are being made are CONSTRUCTION and FACTORY JOBS.That hire mainly men.
It has NOTHING to do with woman or black men getting special treatment when getting jobs.
2-07-2009 @ 9:12AM
cynthia said...
you are a racist pig! it doesn't matter what color or agenda we are as long as the employee knows that he or she no matter what race they maybe gets the job. so you need to go blow it out of your ass.
2-07-2009 @ 1:09PM
unorthodoxic said...
Quitcherbellyachin, White males are not deprived. What research Has shown is that when males are laid off or fired they are unable to readjust and move on. They complain that they are "too ______" (fill in the blank) to get new training, or take a lower paid position. Women, on the other hand, are willing and able to adjust to the situation, and do whatever is needed to stay afloat. Men, possibly because of years of entitlement, tend to blame the environment, other races, or the opposite gender for their failure to cope.
It is no longer possible for a man to sit in the living room and wait for things to come to him. My grandmother used to say that without her, my grandfather could starve to death sitting next to a full refrigerator. Then that was funny, but today women are too busy earning a living and providing a major portion of the household income to stop and "open the refrigerator" for men. So, guys, instead of moaning and groaning, take a lesson from the women and go out and start working at something, even if it isn't your dream job.
2-07-2009 @ 7:41AM
Joe said...
I say about time! I've been telling my wife that I need to stay home, clean the house, cook the suppers and wash the clothes! Let the women earn the living now, I'd stay home in a heart beat! Doing ALL the house hold jobs sure don't take long nd would leave me a hell of a lot of time on the golf course! Earn OUR living baby!! lol : )
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2-07-2009 @ 8:09AM
ohnoudidnt said...
You must have a tiny little house and no children.
2-07-2009 @ 7:52AM
Miss Teddy said...
Jobs that are traditionally "women's job" generally pay less then traditional "men's jobs", even when a higher education is required, for example, a receptionist will be paid minimum wage, where as a unskilled laborer will be paid twice the minimum. Even though men are being laid off more often during these hard times, it is unlikely that they will pick up the household and child care workload. If a man is unemployed, he can not help with the finaincal responsiblites leaving the added finaical stress for the woman to carry. Regarldess of whether a woman has a man in the household, the hard economic times impact women harder then men.
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2-07-2009 @ 1:41PM
SandlionArrakis said...
That's hilarious. I've NEVER met a receptionist who earns minimum wage! I've known several labor workers who will do grunt work and whine about their minimum wage. You have no idea what you're talking about! I've done both jobs and I made $6 an hour lifting boxes then $10 + an hour doing receptionist work! Men get what they deserve for being lazy. If you don't want to think then don't whine about the small paycheck.
2-07-2009 @ 7:58AM
Ben said...
Zac calls women, "the better sex". What?
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2-07-2009 @ 8:07AM
AnDrade said...
White men are still given the advantage most of the time. That's why affirmative action is only a small percentage of the workforce jobs.Why didn't you address all of the white men who get ahead (and have always gotten ahead in the past) and aren't more intelligent than women or non-whites? You have to look at both sides of the coin.
It would be great if we lived in a perfect world and people
weren't discriminated against on both sides, but we don't.
White men shouldn't be discriminated against, but if white men were as fair towards everyone else as they are to themselves, then would affirmative action even have to exist right now?
Also, it is very insulting for you to insinuate that women and
non-whites are usually undeserving of promotions and better jobs.That is completely not the case. These people are just as capable as white men. You are promoting the type of uneducated garble that you are supposedly against.
Lastly, something to think about: Has anyone ever wondered why it appears that most,if not all, female-dominated fields are among the lowest paid? I wonder what would happen if men were to start dominating such fields. Would the average pay be raised?
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2-07-2009 @ 8:28AM
Dave said...
I had a small construction business in central Florida. We did insurance work, mostly termite repair. The work was very dirty, and at times quite physically demanding. I spent many days crawling in and out from under mobile homes repairing damaged floor joists....However, it paid well, and I as boss was able to pay well in return...about 30.00 an hour. I could NOT find people to work...period. They would say they're coming and never show up, quit after a couple days, call off every Monday, one excuse after another. I bet I didn't have 2 people durring my 27 years in business that was worth a darn. I ended up doing most of the work myself, and was able to retire at age 46 a fairly wealthy man. Face it folks, people are lazy, they want big checks for little work. After I retired my wife went back to school and earned her Masters degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Now I stay home and play and she works...not because she has to but because she wants to.
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2-07-2009 @ 11:43AM
Carol said...
I agree with the inability to find dependable or adequate help. My husband has a painting business in west central Fla. (Pasco) and has for years had to do the majority of the work himself for lack of competant help. You're right about people being lazy. He has stopped to talk to the guys panhandling at the intersections and asked them to work just for a day, and they refuse. they want the money not the work. There is no such thing as self respect or feeling good about doing a solid days work for a solid days wage. The generation of young Americans now have no sense of self worth or self pride. They have been handed everything by the parents without having to earn it.
I recently finished my degree in manufacturing Technologies, I work in this feild, but there is no gaurentee that I will get the upgrade in title or wage. this is a sad fact and doesn't mean it won't happen to the men I work with. I have watched men without degrees get the promotions even when there was a woman who was more qualified for the position, but I have also seen the reverse over the past 25 years.
2-07-2009 @ 8:44AM
Sharon said...
I am not surprise as men are the ones who make some of these decision. It is a shame because laws should be put in affect to protect single women who are head of household who are target to be laid off. I am one and I know a lot of single women who is the head of household who had lost their jobs. Something need to be done. This leave the home without any financial support.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:44AM
Sav said...
Even in a work at home business, there are those who come on board and think everyone else is going to work it for them. They want to sit back and let it fall in their laps. Ya'll are absolutely right that there are a lot more lazy people now day's. Then they quit and bad mouth the company that it isn't legit..well my monthly residual checks and daily pay can argue with that, but I work my home business harder than I would if I worked in corporate America. I'm done making someone else rich! I say "Get off your lazy arses America..there's too many opportunities out there to be whining about what you don't have!"
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2-07-2009 @ 9:05AM
Dancerctry said...
Okay as a woman I have to comment. I see what you men are saying. The equal opportunity law was created so people job condidates aren't looked at in terms of gender or race but stictly qualifications. What has happened (no one can argue this) is that businesses do tend to hire and promote someone with some form of minority (for lack of a better word).
I am caucasian and so is my husband. I work part time as a tutor and he works as a Quality Control manager. His company has done their layoffs and are at a bare bones staff. I'm also 6 months pregnant. My brother just started a career as an engineer in May. For him, the job search was easy but he's a mix of a lucky bastard and well qualified due to fabulous internships while in college.
My husband has an interesting story related to this article. His FORMER boss was a woman from Iran (I might have the wrong country but it was in that area and yes she was Muslim). She would kick and scream and yell and micromanage (wanting an update every 15 minutes). She yelled at everyone including her own boss for a year! That's when they fired her. Because of her diversity, they had to build a large file of proof of her behavior to cover themselves if she attempted to sue. It's not easy to fire someone like that. No, she wasn't good at her job (as they learned while cleaning up her mess after she left) and that job has been eliminated. My husband had to fill in for her a few times and those days he found there wasn't any more work then usual. She was probably threatened by him since he could do her job.
I do feel women should get equal pay to men but I also agree that white men are finding it harder to find and keep a job in general. Yes most of the layoffs have been in construction and manufacturing but there is diversity in those fields and when it comes to firing a black dude or white dude, equally talented, the white dude will be the one to go. I'm not saying it's okay for anyone to be lazy but the law is being misinterpreted.
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2-07-2009 @ 11:33AM
hrd1tofind said...
Wow, it still amazes me how uneducated the general population in our great country of ours really is. Almost ALL of the comments posted come from the heart of people (who apparently did not do any research or fact checking) before they posted. Fact is- white men are still the HIGHEST paid, more powerful (and not because they are better at their jobs- yes, the good 'ole boy network is alive and well), and often hypocritical people in the office. Now, with that being said, women and minorities should be given equal pay and equal consideration. If you look at the job pool, whites still dominate in every area in decent paying jobs. So, cry me a F@cking river people and open your eyes. Quit bitching because someone else other than yourself actually got a chance to support his/her family the same as you! Don't worry- even if you did get laid off and are white- I'm sure you can pick up the phone and call one of your "boys" and get a replacement job sooner than the average minority or women.
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2-07-2009 @ 11:41AM
teltech54 said...
The women get to keep their jobs because they get paid less.
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