Men's labor force participation in serious decline

[eridani]

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/the-declining-demand-for-men/

The decline of manufacturing employment helps explain why men’s labor force participation has declined in recent years, while women’s labor force participation has remained relatively constant, after increasing rapidly between 1970 and 1990. The decline in men’s labor force participation would be even greater if increased incarceration were taken into account.

The two occupations projected to grow most rapidly between now and 2018 — registered nurses and home health aides – are typically filled by women.

The driving forces behind the increased feminization of employment are obvious.

Increased foreign trade has hammered the manufacturing sector. Automation and information technology have reduced demand for many midlevel service jobs filled by men. Jobs in education and health services are harder than other jobs to outsource or to “offshore,” because they currently involve at least some in-person, face-to-face interaction.