Is the recession harder on men?

Men held more than 70 percent of the jobs lost so far in the recession, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The disproportionate toll stems largely from mass layoffs in heavily male industries such as construction and manufacturing. But advocates for the homeless and others point out that no one is immune to the suffering in the economic downturn. Are men being hit harder by the recession?

This is clearly a "he-cession": The numbers don't lie, says David Paul Kuhn in The Wall Street Journal. So there's no excuse for the government's "passive response" to this "he-cession," when it could easily create jobs for men by devoting more stimulus money to, say, construction projects. "Imagine the outcry if women amounted to roughly three in four lost jobs in this recession."

"The jobless gender gap"

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Single women are hit hardest: Men have definitely been hit disproportionately by job losses, says Francine Huff in WalletPop. "But single women—many of whom are mothers or caregivers—who get laid off don't have a second income to rely on while they hunt for a new job." The number of families entering homeless shelters rose by 9 percent last year—and most were headed by single women.

"Single women are hit hard by the recession"

Black men are getting the worst of it: Men are more likely than women to see themselves as providers, says Dr. Jeff Gardere in The Grio, so all those men losing work are taking a hit to their "self-esteem and self-worth." And the unemployment rate -- 10.2 percent for the general population -- is 15.7 percent among African Americans, so if the government wants to ease the suffering it can start by offering more counseling, training, and opportunities for black men.

"Three ways unemployment is straining black families"