Unemployment Rates and Gender

Back in the 1940’s, a higher unemployment rate for women was more common than for men. Women used to be known to be what are called “stay at home moms”. Stay at home moms took care of the children, they cooked, they cleaned, and overall, they made sure that the house was in order by the time the man of the house returned home from work. The man of the house was known as the “bread winners” and their role was to bring home the “bacon,” be the sole providers.

The men had a job that provided for the family, that made sure all in the house were fed, all had adequate clothing, although at times may not have been the best, and the bills where paid. Depending on the era, there may be a slight difference in the structure of bills and or clothing and what was paid for them. Bottom line, the women’s job was to keep the house in order, help the kids with their homework and be present for the demands and needs of the house.

I will venture to say that in the early days, commerce allowed for women to stay home and take care of the house. The dollar bill had more value. So a two income house wouldn’t be as necessary. Also, in a certain point in history, women were forbidden to work in certain places. Women were not recognized as equals. So even if a lady had the desire to work in a specific place, the job would have to hire her.

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Between 1960 and 1970, the unemployment rate for women out weighted the unemployment rate for men. This is the time where women were not able to work and or were very limited to work. During this time civil rights was put into place. During the year of 1964, Johnson passed a law giving all people of the United States of America equal rights. This allowed women to apply and get jobs that they would not have gotten if it were not for the equal rights law.

But, also during this time women were still being treated unfairly. Employers where finding loopholes in the system and preventing women from working. For example, women can’t lift more than 30 pounds. Laws and loop holes like these made women angry and also gave women a reason to be upset at the system. The other issue that comes about is women being paid less money than their male counter parts. Working side by side women noticed that they were undervalued because the pay was different between them.

During the 2007 recession, men experienced a greater negative affect on the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for men actually outweighed the women’s unemployment rate, for men equaling 4.7 percent unemployment rate and 4.4 percent for women. In 2010, the unemployment rate got even worse. The rate for women was 8.4 percent, whereas for men it was 11 percent.

There was a time were families could afford to live off of only one income, which was the father’s income. That one income alone would cover the cost of living, plus the wife, children and him. Women were forced to get up and get jobs, as if taking care of their children and homes wasn’t enough. Women are no longer known as stay at home moms. Women have started businesses, they have gone to college to get a degree, and they are making a living just like men do now.

Men are at a greater advantage when it comes to getting a job. Women are discriminated against.  A man and a woman can both apply for the same position, have the same qualifications, but, because employers are prejudice towards women, men will get hired for a position over a woman. For many reasons, men are hired over a woman. One, women get pregnant, men don’t. Women get pregnant, and have to take time off work for doctors’ appointments, take several weeks off for maternity leave, women need time during the day to breast pump if they’re nursing their baby, they get called away from work due to child being sick from daycare or school, they have to take off work when the child is sick, and the cycle continues if they have multiple children.

Men, not so much time off. Men are more beneficial. They don’t need maternity leave; they are typically more reliable because, more than likely, the women in their life care for the child as he can go to work. Another reason women are discriminated against, is because men can handle more of a work load. Women tend to wear their emotions on their shoulders. If they’re upset, problems at home, struggling, and women tend to show those emotions. Men, on the other hand, can hide emotions and struggle more than women can. They let their worries affect their job.

Women suffrage and women rights has come a long way and still have a long way to go. We still haven’t had a women president, although a woman in politics has become a place where women thrive. Women in the workforce has leveled out the testosterone in places and made places easier to work. Women are more caring, compassionate, and slow to anger and the list goes on and on. Woman in the workplace has become the pillar. Now, there are certain places and jobs that require women to work it. A women waiter is much more desirable than seeing a big fat man standing over your food or asking to take your order. Better example? Take a customer service representative and talk with a man, it is one of the hardest things to do. However, call that same place and get a women, she does the job effortlessly with precision and grace. She could possibly being doing her nails while doing it. Women have mad long strides towards positive and structural, and still have a ways to go, but one day “We Shall Overcome.”

Works Cited Page

• Vandenbroucke, Guillaume. Unequal Pink Slips? Gender and the risk of unemployment.