Job Losses in the Current Recession
Who Has Been Hit the Hardest?
The current recession has caused widespread hardship, especially for those who
have lost their jobs. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the economy
has shed nearly 6.7 million jobs, with losses spanning across nearly all sectors of
employment. While no particular group has been immune to the sizeable job losses,
some have experienced greater job losses than others.
Regardless of the economic climate, unemployment rates tend to vary by factors such
as sex, race, and age. In general, men have higher unemployment rates than women,
blacks have higher unemployment rates than whites, and young workers have higher
unemployment rates than older workers.
As measured by the Household Survey, the number of unemployed men has increased
109% (4.5 million) while the number of unemployed women has risen 71% (2.4 million).
Further breaking down increases in unemployment by race and marital status shows
that the discrepancy between male and female unemployment has been most pronounced
among white men and white women, and among married men and married women. For
example, the rise in unemployment has been nearly twice as high for married men (162%)
as for married women (85%).
Among women, both married women and single women who are heads of households
have experienced similar increases in unemployment since the start of the recession (85%
for married women and 89% for single heads of household). The relatively smaller increase
in unemployment among all women (71%) is evidence that childless, unmarried women
have experienced a smaller increase in unemployment than married women or single women
with children.
The increase in the number of unemployed workers in the oldest, age 55+ group (133%) has
been more than four times that of the youngest, age 16-19 group (30%). Workers in the middle
age groups (ages 25-54), which tend to have the highest labor force participation rates, have
all experienced unemployment increases in excess of 100%, meaning that there were twice as
many unemployed workers in July 2009 as in December 2007.
have lost their jobs. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the economy
has shed nearly 6.7 million jobs, with losses spanning across nearly all sectors of
employment. While no particular group has been immune to the sizeable job losses,
some have experienced greater job losses than others.
Regardless of the economic climate, unemployment rates tend to vary by factors such
as sex, race, and age. In general, men have higher unemployment rates than women,
blacks have higher unemployment rates than whites, and young workers have higher
unemployment rates than older workers.
As measured by the Household Survey, the number of unemployed men has increased
109% (4.5 million) while the number of unemployed women has risen 71% (2.4 million).
Further breaking down increases in unemployment by race and marital status shows
that the discrepancy between male and female unemployment has been most pronounced
among white men and white women, and among married men and married women. For
example, the rise in unemployment has been nearly twice as high for married men (162%)
as for married women (85%).
Among women, both married women and single women who are heads of households
have experienced similar increases in unemployment since the start of the recession (85%
for married women and 89% for single heads of household). The relatively smaller increase
in unemployment among all women (71%) is evidence that childless, unmarried women
have experienced a smaller increase in unemployment than married women or single women
with children.
The increase in the number of unemployed workers in the oldest, age 55+ group (133%) has
been more than four times that of the youngest, age 16-19 group (30%). Workers in the middle
age groups (ages 25-54), which tend to have the highest labor force participation rates, have
all experienced unemployment increases in excess of 100%, meaning that there were twice as
many unemployed workers in July 2009 as in December 2007.
