The death of the male working class

29 May 2010

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This recession is a global ‘mancession’, says Matthew Lynn, with male-dominated industries collapsing and women getting a greater share of new jobs. But if work is turning into a female domain, what are we going to do with all the redundant men?

The ‘mancession’ is fast creating a generation of redundant men, living on benefits, too unattractive to form stable relationships and prone to alcoholism, drug-addiction and crime.

Yet the feminised economy of the future is not going to be easy for women. They may be more employable, but unless there is some grand renegotiation between the sexes, they’ll still need to have the babies and look after them. Men today may change more nappies than their fathers did. It’s a feminist fantasy, however, to imagine a society of working mums coming home to an immaculate house full of smiling children looked after by an unemployable father. Nothing the new coalition government does is likely to turn this around. Cutting the public sector will make some difference, but since the female-dominated health service is ring-fenced, it won’t be very significant. Indeed, the NHS is good example of how feminised the workplace has become. It is one of the largest employers on the planet, yet four out of five of its non-medical staff are female. This is a global trend, and nothing George Osborne is planning as Chancellor is going to change it.

The real problem is that men need work. It’s how they define themselves and find their place within their families and communities. One of the big questions governments may face over the next decade is how to provide men with a role in society. One option is to reshape economic policy so that it encourages manufacturing — as much as services and finance. Another is to refocus the government’s ‘skills’ agenda on male skills.

But it is entirely possible that the ‘mancession’ may kill off what remains of the male working class — and this may one day be seen as a social evil. After decades worrying about female issues, it might be time to ask who really is the weaker sex.