"This decline in public employment will inevitably be intensified by further cuts in public spending and has particularly ominous implications for women, who make up a disproportionate share of state and local payrolls. As Eileen Appelbaum points out , men were harder hit by job [...]

"Men were hit harder and earlier by job losses than women in the downturn. As of last month, the unemployment rate for adult men was 8.9 percent, versus 8 percent among women. But men are also recovering faster and have made back about 28 percent [...]

"Studies from sick-leave advocacy groups — including the Institute for Women's Policy Research , the Urban Institute and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy — conclude that businesses have emerged largely unscathed. "Most San Francisco employers reported that implementing (the ordinance) was not difficult [...]

"These are challenging times for all Americans, but there are several indicators that suggest that women have been disproportionately burdened by the recession. It is well-documented that women earn significantly less money than men in the workplace -- working women make about $0.78 for every [...]