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He-cession? She-cession? The Gendered Impact of the Great Recession in the United States

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  • Kimberly Christensen

Abstract

Many commentators have remarked on the seemingly disproportionate job losses suffered by men in the initial days of the Great Recession; some conservative commentators have gone so far as to label it a “he-cession†or “man-cession.†In this paper, I assess the claim that the Great Recession has had a disproportionate impact on men. I begin by examining the position and status of women and men in the U.S. economy today in terms of labor force participation, occupational placement, relative wages, and financial responsibility for children. I discuss how women’s (especially women of color’s) economic status has rendered them particularly vulnerable to the impact of the Great Recession. I critique the notion of the “he-cession†and expose the faulty, ahistorical assumptions on which it is based. Finally, I examine the impact of state and local austerity on public sector employment and speculate as to the implications of austerity for the relative economic standing of women of various races/ethnicities.

Suggested Citation

  • Kimberly Christensen, 2015. "He-cession? She-cession? The Gendered Impact of the Great Recession in the United States," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 47(3), pages 368-388, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:reorpe:v:47:y:2015:i:3:p:368-388
    DOI: 10.1177/0486613414542771
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    Cited by:

    1. Hélène PÉRIVIER, 2018. "Recession, austerity and gender: A comparison of eight European labour markets," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 157(1), pages 1-37, March.
    2. Ebru Kongar & Mark Price, 2017. "Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Time Use of Married and Cohabiting Parents during the Great Recession," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_888, Levy Economics Institute.
    3. Hélène Périvier, 2018. "Recession, Austerity and Gender: A Comparison of Eight European Labour Markets," Sciences Po publications info:hdl:2441/5e7470pjqo8, Sciences Po.
    4. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/5e7470pjqo8p98ghofg166s7u2 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Hélène Périvier, 2016. "Recession, austerity and gender: A Comparison of Eight European Labour Markets," Sciences Po publications 2016-05, Sciences Po.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/41isuana4r9csqvq548poclp6e is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; Great Recession; occupational segregation; public employment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets

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