Role Reversal: As recession lengthens, more men are laid off and become Mr. Moms

Role Reversal: As recession lengthens, more men are laid off and become Mr. Moms

By Marijke Rowland
mrowland@modbee.com


Brian Fletcher has gone from the daily handling of motorcycle engines, brakes, clutches and gaskets to dealing daily with baby diapers, pacifiers, rattles and a stroller.

The 29-year-old Turlock resident was laid off from his job as parts manager at DH Cycles in December after working at the Modesto motorcycle shop for seven years.

Fletcher and his wife, Holly, had their first child, Hannah, in October. Now, Holly, who works full time in purchasing for the Wine Group, is the family's sole provider.

Fletcher's switch from big bikes to tiny babies comes courtesy of the economy, a trend seen across the country as the jobless rate continues to climb and men find themselves unemployed at a higher rate than women.

Many couples in the Central Valley — where in Stanislaus County, unemployment reached a 12-year high of 16 percent in January — are seeing a shift in their family dynamics because of the deepening recession.

Nationally, since the recession started at the end of 2007, more than 80 percent of laid-off workers have been men. The disproportionate numbers can be attributed to heavy hits in traditionally male-skewing industries like construction and manufacturing and relative stability in more female-centric fields like schools and hospitals.

more...

http://www.modbee.com/local/story/622935.html

When a family loses the "2nd income", and it's the lesser (usually Mom's), they can cut corners here and there, and manage...

BUT

when a family loses the father's income (usually the one that's larger and the one with benefits), it's a recipe for disaster..

The savings on childcare may be a plus, as is the "only one commuter thing", but then what?

Women traditionally still make less than men to start with, and once it's known that Mom's the ONLY breadwinner in the family, she becomes even more vulnerable, and easier to exploit..

And when does dad find the time to go job-hunting when he's the child care provider?

Lilly Ledbetter act, but now are seeing how important it is for women to be payed equally as her male peers.

He has had the misfortune of working for 4 companies who have either closed or laid off more than half their workforce. He also has a recent drug offense on his record (but is now no longer is a user). I have a middle income job which put us above "assistance level" income. I'd rather him watch our son than pay income he would earn to someone else for childcare, while he is little anyway. He is only 3 months old and benefits from one on one attention from his dad. Unfortunately, he recently got a new probation officer who doesn't see it that way. There aren't any jobs around he though anyway. My employer has a horrible reputation as a place to work in a town of under 10,000 and currently has no employment ads or postings, but we are having dozens of applicants every week. A few weeks ago, some guy even tried to show up for work despite not being hired.

how to eat cheap (cooking at home, from scratch, fewer convenience products.....) Could bring some creative solutions.

More cost effective to keep the women.

Except the stupid male ego that cannot take it.

So they get laid off first. No surprise there.

Now they're stay-at-home fathers.

Why don't they just call them "Mr. Dad"?