Unemployment is of vital importance, particularly to the unemployed

March 9, 2009 11:44 AM

The world's economic crisis has cost more men their jobs than women in Western countries. But in Asia and most of the developing world, the economic meltdown has a woman's face. The Toronto Star: Today, International Women's Day, women celebrate the gains made in achieving equal rights and highlight the widespread wrongs that damage the lives of the 3.3 billion females around the world. But the issue foremost in women's minds is the global recession, which has hit the most vulnerable half of humanity with exceptional force. The Bangkok Post: The latest International Labour Organization (ILO) report revealed that the global unemployment rate could rise as high as 7.1% in 2009, compared to 6% in 2008. What is worrying is that the consequences of the global crisis could come knocking on your door. What was the global economic crisis last year could easily become a global social crisis this year.

Link: ILO Global Employment Trends for Women report, 2009 (pdf)

Jobs: A 'much worse disaster' in US: Mississippi's maximum benefit is $230 a week, a few dollars above the U.S. poverty line, and half of what the unemployed get in many other states. Fewer than a quarter of the state's unemployed get any benefits at all, ranking it 46th out of 50 states.

CNN: Life on unemployment - making ends meet on $300 a week.

posted by KokuRyu (7 comments total)

God, that first sentence is a trainwreck.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:13 PM on March 9, 2009

Am I the only person that thought that somehow, in Asia, the current economic crisis is causing women's faces to melt?
posted by Shepherd at 1:17 PM on March 9, 2009

mr_roboto: "God, that first sentence is a trainwreck."

Shepherd: "Am I the only person that thought that somehow, in Asia, the current economic crisis is causing women's faces to melt?"

I don't see what's so confusing about it. In the West, men have suffered the most job losses. In the East, on the other hand, the burden has fallen more on women.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:28 PM on March 9, 2009

One thing I'm curious about is the ethnic breakdown of the job losses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the biggest losing sectors (outside of finance) are also the sectors most likely to employ recent immigrants?
posted by Afroblanco at 1:37 PM on March 9, 2009

Men make up two-thirds or more of rich-country workers in mining, manufacturing, energy, construction and transportation, which have been hit hard by the continuing downturn.

I would say that (at least in Canada) job losses transcend ethnicity.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:00 PM on March 9, 2009

I clicked in to the thread to thank KokoRyu for posting; nice way to mark International Women's Day. Perhaps we could focus on the content itself.
posted by theora55 at 2:15 PM on March 9, 2009

I appreciate this post, particularly the discussion of the lack of discussion (er...) regarding the gender angle of an economic downturn. From the above-linked Japan Times article:

The consequence of losing a job also affects women differently, and more severely. Research shows that the poorer the family, the more important the woman's earnings are to the family's subsistence, children's health and education.

Straight link there from economic to social crisis. At least that article finishes with an emphasis on solutions.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 3:02 PM on March 9, 2009