When the banality of economics becomes seductive. Via Matt Yglesias, Economix offers this chart undermining the truly pathetic neologism of a “mancession.” Please.
We could use crises to take a second look at issues in society – budget crises ostensibly allow us to prioritize our concerns, even if cowardly politicians address them with ridiculous across-the-board-cuts. Steep drops in employment bring up gender equity issues in the workforce in a way which, combined with other forces, should reflect not just changing demographics but shifts in national economy itself – toward education and healthcare, for example, and away from certain types of heavy manufacturing. Which itself reflects the tack away from industrial-based activity and toward a service economy. We will still have to make things and build stuff, and women may be increasingly designing the buildings, negotiating the contracts and cutting the ribbons. But this is less ‘XX takin’ XY’s jobs’ than ‘the nature of our jobs is changing.’