US women dominate labor sector as “mensession” hits America

The current recession is a protracted period of high unemployment, especially in traditionally male-dominated sectors, Don Peck of the Atlantic Monthly told RT.

“The recession – it has been called the “mensession” … because construction and finance are male dominated, and three-quarters of all job losses since the recession began have been to men and that really is part of a longer standing trend, Peck said, before providing a startling fact.

“Just recently, for the first time in US history women held more jobs than men in the US,” he said.

The short-and long-term consequences of this economic scenario may have a deleterious effect on American society.

“When men do not work, marriages tend to sour pretty quickly so I think that if male joblessness persists you are likely to see a rise in divorce rates,” Peck predicted. “Women… initiate two-thirds of all divorces, and I think you might see a wave of them heading forward."

Meanwhile, the recession may be responsible for offsetting marriages until better times.

“I think you are also likely to see delayed family formation. People put off marriage in recessions,” Peck concluded.