Unfair Employment News for the Fairer Sex

The fairer sex appears to be getting a less than fair shake at new jobs created in the wake of the economic downturn. In October, we reported that women have recovered just 9 percent of jobs lost, and men are recovering nearly three times faster. And things haven’t gotten much better.

As The Huffington Post reported this week, “On Friday the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate among women fell to 7.8 percent in November from 8 percent the month before. The slight improvement belies the fact that the unemployment rate for women has been fairly stagnant since the recovery began in June 2009. Men have done better: Unemployment for men was 8.3 percent in November, down from 9.9 percent at the start of the recovery. The reasons that men have regained jobs at a faster clip than women and have seen their collective situation improve since the recovery began are hard to explain, said Entmacher. ‘It isn't as if male-dominated industries have suddenly and really rebounded,’ she said. The anecdotal stories that Entmacher hears from middle-aged and older women, left struggling with their finances and their identities, suggest that there's also a belief lingering in the culture that it's more important to put unemployed men back to work, she said.”

This means more middle-aged or older women—even the most flexible, willing and networked—who should be padding their career’s worth of savings or preparing for retirement, are now the long-term unemployed, forced to use that very same savings or drawing from their retirement just to get by. Or worse.

One such worse case, scenario—that’s now common in the new economy—is the story of 51-year-old Gayle Leslie, an unemployed, college-educated women with  As HuffPost shared, “Leslie found a spot at the local women's emergency shelter then got a job with the Walker County Democratic Party. When the election was over, Leslie was able to get back to New York. She lived on her unemployment benefits, thinking it would be a matter of time before she found a job. Then in 2010, the benefits ran out. Now, she's depending on the kindness of friends. She splits her time between sending out resumes, hunting for her next temporary sleeping spot and writing a book about her life. To get by, Leslie rations everything -- subway passes, cellphone minutes and even that red lipstick -- so that she will have them if, and when, she gets a job interview.”

As you can clearly see, for many women like Gayle Leslie, the official economic recovery remains a recessionary nightmare, with stagnant unemployment levels leading many of the fairer sex further and further into debt and economic despair.  While some experts suggest that women turn to self-employment to save themselves, others are looking for more lasting solutions. The reason is simple: bankruptcy provides a gender-neutral solution to those running squarely in the red.

So, are you an unemployed (or underemployed) woman who’s looking for additional financial support, but aren’t sure where to look? It’s important to understand, that now, more than ever, knowing a qualified bankruptcy attorney with a handle on all aspects of the bankruptcy process can help you dispense with debt and bounce back from the current economic crisis.  The bankruptcy professionals at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt offer a totally FREE debt consultation and now, more than ever, it’s time to take them up on their offer. Just call toll free to +1-833-627-0115, or during the off hours, you can make your own appointment right online at www.billsbills.com. Simply click on the yellow “FREE Consultation Now” button.