|
|
Many economists are seeing more men than women lose jobs in this recession. This is similar to previous recessions, when men have lost jobs at higher rates, mainly because more men work in hard-hit industries, such as manufacturing, banking and construction. Many women, meanwhile, work in education and health care, which have been more recession-proof. Also, a number of women who have been at home, or working part-time, are returning to work when husbands or partners get laid off.
Some experts predict that women could even surpass men in the labor force, for the first time in American history. Such a shift could have a dramatic effect both in the workplace and on the home front but it won't happen overnight. Even if women outnumber men on the nation's payrolls, women are still likely to work fewer hours overall than men, earning lower pay and fewer benefits. Women are more likely to be in part-time jobs without health insurance or unemployment insurance, and women in full-time jobs earn just 80 cents on the dollar of their male counterparts' income, according to the New York Times, citing government data.
Home responsibilities may also start to equalize, but there's a long way to go. Currently, some 83% of women and 66% of men spend time doing household activities, including cooking, lawn care and financial management, according to Business Week, citing data from the American Time Use Survey, which is conducted annually by the Department of Labor. And according to the New York Times, unemployed men don't use their extra time to help out much around the house; instead they often spend more time looking for a job, sleeping and watching TV.
At the Juggle, we've discussed how the recession has affected marriages and how it has forced some women back into the workforce sooner than they might have wanted. A number of pundits have also weighed in on how gender roles might change in this recession, including pieces here, here, here and here.
Readers, this is a broad question, but how do you think the recession which has caused more women to enter the workforce and more men to get laid-off will affect gender roles at work and at home? Will this help women receive more pay equity? Will men participate more in household duties? Have you seen any changes in your own workplaces or your own households?
很多经济学家发现在当前这场衰退中男性比女性失业的要多。这和以前历次衰退相似，也是男性失业率更高，这主要是因为有更多的男性从事受到严重冲击的行业，比如制造业、银行业和建筑业。而很多女性都是在教育和医疗等比较“抗衰退”的行业工作。此外，在丈夫或男友遭遇裁员后，很多全职太太和从事兼职工作的女性纷纷重回职场。
一些专家预测，在美国，女性的就业人数甚至可能会有史以来首次超过男性。这样的转变可能会给工作和家庭生活都带来很大的影响力──不过影响并不是一朝一夕就发生的事。就算女性就业人数超过了男性，她们仍很可能比男性的总体工作时间要短、薪水更低、福利更少。据《纽约时报》援引政府数据报导称，与男性相比，女性更可能从事没有医疗保险和失业保险的兼职工作，而从事全职工作的女性收入也只有男性同事的八成而已。（不过，工资比男性同事低可能会使一些女性避免裁员的厄运。）
家庭责任也可能会开始平衡，不过仍需要很长时间。据援引美国人时间利用情况调查的数据称，目前有83%的女性和66%的男性花时间做家务，包括做饭、整理草坪、财务管理。这项调查由美国劳工部每年举行一次。据《纽约时报》报导称，失业的男性并不会把多出来的时间用在帮助做家务上，相反，他们常常把更多的时间花在找工作、睡觉和看电视上。（而女性失业时，她们在照看孩子上花的时间大约会增加一倍。）
本专栏里，我们讨论了衰退如何影响了婚姻生活，如何迫使一些女性比自己希望的更早地重返职场。很多专家也在考虑，性别角色可能会在眼下的衰退中发生怎样的变化，包括各个方面的变化。
读者朋友们，这是个很宽泛的问题，不过你认为衰退将对工作和家庭中的性别角色会产生怎样的影响？（衰退已经造成更多女性进入职场，更多男性被裁员）。这会让女性获得更合理的薪酬吗？男性会更多地参与家务劳动吗？你在自己的工作场所或是家里发现有什么变化吗？
|
|
发表于 2016-8-12 16:30:18