« Automated flower service makes up for all those good intentions | Main | Most men see themselves starting their own business: Report »

June 19, 2021

Mancession? Number of stay-at-home dads has doubled since 2001

Mr. Mom  came out in 1983, and Michael Keaton was last relevant in 1992 when he was dressing up like Batman.

But somehow, in 2012 and on a money blog, both are topical today.

The hook? The recession, er, make that the “mancession,” the nickname afforded the regrettable consequences the downturn has had on the male worker.

Disproportionately, more men than women have seen their jobs slashed, burned or both by the great recessionary reshuffling, and what’s left from it all is a sizeable uptick in stay-at-home dads.

According to new data out of the U.S., the number of stay-at-home dads has more than doubled in the previous decade.

*Bing: How to make cash without leaving home

In 2001, there were 81,000 stay-at-home dads in America, or 1.6 per cent of all stay-at-home parents. By last year, that number had climbed to 176,000, or 3.4 per cent of all stay-at-home parents.

That whole mancession term first came about a few years back, and it was easy to laugh off since men are kinda macho idiots and by golly if we weren’t going to pick up our bootstraps and find a way to make ends meet.

But the cruel reality of the mancession tag is that it’s rooted in a global shift that’s momentum is too great to slow down.

Even just in Canada, manufacturing and labour jobs, the sectors and industries dominated by men, have been crippled, and while some construction-type jobs have returned, no one’s exactly clamouring to put up factories north of the 49th anymore.

In fact, many – like Electro-Motive, the Caterpillar-owned auto parts plant in London, Ont., that recently closed up shop and moved to Indiana – is doing everything it can to shutter Canadian operations.

So it stands, then, that many husbands and wives have taken a long look at things and decided it is the women now that have greater earning potential than men.

Mommy, get your briefcase. Daddy, get your Swiffer.

By Jason Buckland, MSN Money

TrackBack

Comments

Post a comment

advertisement

Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...