Rosie the Riveter, the iconic symbol of workplace equality, would not be pleased.
While millions of unemployed Americans compete for precious few new jobs, recent Department of Labor data indicates a significant gender disparity in hiring since the recession landmark of June 2009.
Despite the advances women have made in the workplace, the recession has seen an uptick in unbalanced hiring between the genders. Men have been hired for 80% of the 2.6 million new jobs since 2009, claiming 61% of new jobs last year, the LA Times reported.
The disparity can partly be attributed to timing. Industries that typically employ men are hiring again, while sectors where women are more prevalent are letting people go. Male-dominated manufacturing jobs are seeing a resurgence in new hires, and female-majority industries such as government have seen more layoffs. Unemployment for men reached its highest point in late 2009, but women didn’t see their unemployment peak until 2010.
Even as jobs gradually reopen up in traditionally female-staffed industries such as retail, men are still getting hired for the majority of new positions. Over the last three decades, women comprised the majority of the retail workforce, but since December 2009, the retail industry has laid off 49,500 women, but hired 440,000 men. The retail gender scales are now tipped in favor of men who hold 51% of the retail jobs in America.
The male presence is also increasing in industries where women continue to hold the majority of jobs including banking, healthcare, real estate, education and hospitality.
Follow Elise Rambaud Marrion on Twitter @emarrion_cmn.
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