RJ and Makay

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Men lost more than twice as many jobs as women during the great recession of 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Since the recession ended in June 2009, men have landed 88% of non-farm payroll jobs.  The unemployment rate for males has dropped 2.3% since the end of the recession, to 8.3% in February 2012 from 10.6% in June 2009.  It has stayed flat for women, dipping to 8.2% from 8.3% during the same period.

December's sharp decline in unemployment to 9.4% from 9.8% seems like a very nice surprise — until you learn what was behind it.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the decline was due in part to the fact that 260,000 Americans dropped out of the workforce, typically because they were discouraged about not being able to find a job. If you're no longer considered part of the workforce, you won't be counted as unemployed despite being out of work.