Men are losing their jobs at a faster rate than women during this economic downturn, according to USA Today.

Since the start of the recession (December 2007), unemployment for men has climbed to 7.2% (up from 4.4%), but for women it has only reached 5.9% (up from 4.3%), according to USA Today.

Now, ladies, don’t jump to conclusions here.  It’s not because men are bigger slackers (despite your hubby never washing the dishes!) or more disobedient than women.

It’s because men tend to hold less stable jobs and tend to command higher salaries, according to USA Today.

For example, the female-dominated industries like health care and education actually added jobs in 2008, according to IHS Global Insight.

Meanwhile, male-dominated industries like construction and manufacturing cut jobs in 2008.

Plus, men tend to get paid more than women, making them more likely to get the pink slip as companies strive to cut costs.

2008 was a rough year for workers as a whole.  The country lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008, the most since the start of the Truman administration.

The situation is dire,” Obama said last week. “It is deteriorating, and it demands urgent and immediate action.”

Hilda Solis, Obama’s choice for labor secretary, described the job losses as “a crisis situation.”

In December 2008, 11.1 million Americans were unemployed.

The biggest job losses were concentrated in the manufacturing (149,000 jobs) and professional and business services (113,000) arenas.