While unemployment rates continue to steadily rise, more men are finding themselves unemployed than women at a rate unlike the United States has seen before. A September 2 USA Today article titled “Women gain as men lose jobs” suggests that in previous recessions, the gender gap in unemployment has been either seemingly nonexistent or has been in favor of men. This time around, however, women have lost about 1.66 million jobs and men have lost about 4.75 million jobs in the December 2007 to June 2009 span of the recession.


Although it is difficult to say with certainty what would cause such a shift, the facts lead to many different possible inferences, all of which could be equally plausible. One theory is that many male dominated areas of work, such as construction, are receiving less business due to a lower demand for the services they provide.


“I would guess that the salary differential between men and women means that jobs occupied by men cost companies more. Hence, when they want to cut costs, it’s more likely that they will cut jobs that will save them more on labor costs,” said James Schmidt, associate history professor.


Schmidt also said this could be a historic shift. In the past, it has been top priority to keep men employed due to their status as the breadwinner, but given that more men are currently unemployed, men may be seen less and less as the sole wage earners in any given household.
“I think employers can get away with paying women less,” said Megan Louthain, a freshman early childhood major.


If this is true, it makes sense that men would be unemployed at a rate higher than women. If an employer is going to cut costs, the best place to look is the highest paid positions.


One could also argue that women tend to favor jobs that are essential regardless of the economic climate, such as childcare, jobs within the service industry, nursing or elementary education.


Amid problems like the wage gap between men and women, this new information may be interpreted by some as a positive shift in favor of women. The new unemployment rates should not be interpreted as a shift toward equality or female superiority, as some may be inclined to assume. Schmidt makes a point regarding the status of jobs that women tend to be employed in.


“In the current situation, I’d guess that women’s over-representation in the service sector has in some sense ‘protected’ their positions, but that means ‘protecting’ what are in many cases low-wage jobs,” Schmidt said.


This draws the question, how much does the type of job matter, or the amount of money one makes doing it, when examining unemployment?


“Any job is better than no job, [because] when there is no money, you have to get it somehow,” said Dustin Hume, a junior anthropology major, who feels that income is income, no matter how low.


As important as income may be, low wages combined with underemployment does not put women ahead in the slightest.


“I think that’s what’s often missed in the current economic downturn (and is true in most cases): underemployment at lowered wages is just as much of a problem as actual unemployment. In other words, if more women are keeping their jobs but their hours are being cut, then the effect on household income is still serious,” Schmidt said.


Regardless of how you choose to interpret the situation, the fact of the matter is that this gender gap exists, and the gap is rather unprecedented.


The recession is affecting more than the economy as a whole. It is also making history with this gap in unemployment, and it is giving more people reasons to examine gender and the role of women in the workplace.

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