With the (recession) on the brink of becoming the longest in the (postwar) era, a milestone may be at
hand: Women are poised to (surpass) men on the nation’s payrolls, taking the majority for the first time
in American history.
The reason has less to do with (gender) equality than with where the ax is falling.
The (proportion) of women who are working has changed very little since the recession started. But a full
82 percent of the job losses have befallen men, who are heavily represented in (distressed) industries
like manufacturing and (construction). Women tend to be employed in areas like education and health
care, which are less (sensitive )to economic ups and downs, and in jobs that allow more time for child
care and other (domestic) work.