Feminists have complained about the pay gap for years.There is a new gap. The unemployment gender gap.

To advance their cause, feminists ignore many realities. Men tend to put work before family. Men work more overtime. Men don’t get pregnant and raise the cost of employing them. Men are physically stronger. The list can go on and on. This doesn’t mean men are better than women, but wages show is that hiring men is less costly on average then hiring women.

Our new gender gap is the unemployment gap. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the unemployment rate for men is 11. 4% while it stands at 8.8% for women  (read more).

There are probably multiple reasons for the gap. Those who whine about the pay gap are silent to the unemployment gap. Surprised? Of course not.

The reason for the gap is obvious to those that believe in the free market.

Men make more money

Geez..this seems obvious. If men make more money then women, doesn’t it make sense that a company looking to cut costs and improve efficiency is going to let the overpriced men go first. We like to call this a market correction. It didn’t require a law that will last long beyond its usefulness. It didn’t require endless debate with expensive studies. It didn’t require the taking of freedom from employers.

Men are employed in different economic sectors

Housing is hard hit so home construction is down. Governments are operating huge budget deficits, so government construction is down. The banks are going through turmoil, so high stress finance jobs are down.

On the flip side, women are employed as teachers and nurses at a higher rate then men. Education and health care are some of the only sectors that have not been hit hard by the economy.

Eventually, some men will abandon the sectors that no longer require them for growing sectors. This will help to alleviate the health care shortage that is expected in the coming years. It may also help the teacher shortage in more dangerous school zones. Again, the free market can do magical things without government intervention.

Women are part of the protected class

When choosing who to let go, you can bet that employers are worried about law suits. It is a constant threat to business (including doctors). Women are perceived by our culture and our courts as being victims of gender discrimination. Any business considering layoffs must surely keep this in mind when letting the axe fall.

The free market can’t fix this problem because protected classes are a function of government intervention in the market place. This will remain an issue as long as government is an active participant in protecting certain people.

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