(Newser)
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Male unemployment has hit an all-time high, with a whopping 1 of every 5 working-age American men jobless, according to the latest government figures. The economic downturn has been especially brutal on traditionally male-dominated fields like construction and manufacturing, the Huffington Post explains, leading some to label it a “mancession.” The figure includes many people standard unemployment figures don’t track, including those who’ve chosen not to look and those who have given up on job hunting.
About 80% of men aged 25 to 54 had jobs in December, the lowest figure since recordkeeping began in 1948—at which point the figure was 94.4%. Fewer women overall work—69.1% of those 25 to 54—but that represents a less dramatic decline, putting women about on par with their 1998 levels. Overall, the number of Americans over age 16 with a job has fallen to 58.2%, a 25-year low.
