Womens’ jobs recovery improving, still slower than mens’

How the womens’ recession differs from mens’

According to The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) study, analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau has revealed that female and male employees experienced quite different recessions, but the good news is that women are finally gaining more jobs and losing less jobs than in 2009, having experienced a less favorable experience in terms of hiring in recent years.

The study notes that as of June, men have regained 46.2 percent of the positions they lost since the recession began, and women have regained 38.7 percent. The data is clear, but the reasons for the disparity between the genders are less so. The Institute notes that men continue to be hired more than women in all industries, not just male-dominated sectors.

The hardest hit sectors: married mothers

Additionally, another recent study discovered that the individuals struggling the most to get hired are married women with children. The study by the University of Washington and the University of Alberta found that not only do married moms struggle to find work, they also earn less once they are higher, even after the researchers controlled for education experience and work history.

Married fathers had a 31 percent higher chance of getting hired between 2007 and 2009 than married mothers, but the surprising twist is that when comparing single men and women that have no children, women actually have a 29 percent higher chance of finding employment.

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Mens’ recession began and ended earlier

As for the IWPR, men were impacted earlier by the recession, but began to recover more quickly:

Where jobs were lost and gained

When it comes to government jobs, women were hit hardest, particularly early on, and gains have been made in sectors like education and health that are adding new positions.

The IWPR calls the last three years a recovery, noting that during this period, the Census Bureau data reveals that the top sectors that added the most jobs for men are:

1. Professional and business services (937,000)
2. Trade, transportation, and utilities (613,000)
3. Education and health services (393,000)

For women during this period, the top sectors that added the most jobs during this time period are:

1. Education and health services (713,000)
2. Professional and business services (504,000)
3. Leisure and hospitality (243,000)

During these years, men lost the most jobs in construction (402,000), while women lost the most in government positions (406,000).

Full study from IWPR:

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