Keywords: working women, recession, layoffs, gender equality, gender gap, work force, job force, diversity, DiversityInc
With the vast majority of layoffs affecting men in the current recession, women are on the brink of becoming a majority in the work force, The New York Times reports. A total of 82 percent of recent layoffs have hit men, partly because men dominate in fields that have been hurt worst by the economic downturn, such as manufacturing and construction. Fields that tend to employ more women, such as health and education, have been more resilient.
"Given how stark and concentrated the job losses are among men, and that women represented a high proportion of the labor force in the beginning of this recession, women are now bearing the burden--or the opportunity, one could say--of being breadwinners," Heather Boushey, a senior economist at the Center for American Progress, told the Times.
According to the Times, the percentage of families that are being supported by women tends to rise slightly during recessions. Though women may have more job security, they typically have a tougher time supporting a family. Many work part time in jobs that don't offer health insurance, and women working full time earn about 80 cents for each dollar their male counterparts earn, the Times reports.
Click here to read the full story in The New York Times.
