The 'man-cession': Good for women workers?

Far more men were laid off during the recession than women, leading some to proclaim a profound shift in the workforce

With more professional men taking a hit during the recession, women seem poised to dominate the fastest growing job sectors.
(Image credit: a.collectionRF/amanaimages/Corbis)

Men lost twice as many jobs as women during the Great Recession, making women the majority of the American workforce for the first time. Some said the "man-cession" had revealed the future of the workforce, arguing that women would play a more dominant role as the manufacturing and construction sectors shrank. However, the economic recovery has been just as imbalanced, with men gaining jobs at triple the rate of women. Are we back to where we started, or do trends still favor women in the economy of the future?

Women are poised to take over the economy: "American women are well-placed to gain over men in the workforce," says Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. Women earned three of every five higher-ed degrees in the past decade, suggesting they will be a more attractive demographic for employers. Women also dominate America's "fastest growing" job sectors, especially health care. The rise of women in the American workforce is a "triumph of economics and development in the advanced world," and soon male workers will be encouraged to "be more like women."

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