Recession hits women, too

Experts say official stats hide damage done to women in downturn

It seems universally acknowledged that the current recession has made things difficult for just about everyone — but could troubled times be taking more of a toll on women than men? Some experts say yes.

“The statistics don’t always show the whole picture,” explains Sharon Freedman, professor of social work at Lehman College. While it looks like more men have lost their jobs, Freedberg says that several factors muddy the numbers.

“There’s a hidden sector of women who have been working in jobs that aren’t as reportable, like nannies or household help, caretakers for the elderly,” says Freedberg. “Sometimes these jobs aren’t paid on the books.” Not only are these women uncounted in the statistics, they’re also clearly ineligible for unemployment insurance.

Labor economist William Spriggs, who worked on President Obama’s transition team for Labor Review, adds that another sector of working women go unrecognized. “Women are more likely to work part-time than men,” he says.

“Traditionally there has been occupational segregation,” explains Irasema Garza, who was the head of the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau under the Clinton administration. “Women have less or no access to higher-paying nontraditional jobs that pay 30 percent to 50 percent more, like jobs in construction.” Those labor jobs are also often unionized, which adds a layer of protection.