More women bringing home the bacon, frying it up in a pan, as men get hit hard by layoffs

I still remember an old commercial that ran for Enjoli perfume back when I was a kid. An attractive woman was shown dancing through her busy day as she sang:

I can put the wash on the line,
Feed the kids, get dressed,
Pass out the kisses,
And get to work by five to nine.

I can bring home the bacon,
Fry it up in the pan.
And never, ever let you forget you're a man...!

Well apparently women are bringing home the bacon more than ever these days as men are getting laid off in large numbers. About 82% of U.S. workers who've been downsized in this recession are men, according to a recent article in the New York Times.

That's because many of the industries that have been hit hard are male dominated, such as manufacturing, construction and finance. Women often work in education, health care and other fields that are less likely to be laid off when the economy dips.

But despite the fact that more households may be relying on female breadwinners, many women may find it tough to support their families on just their salary. Women who work full-time earn an average of about 78 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, many women work part-time in jobs that don't have health benefits.

There's been some speculation that more unemployed men will permanently find themselves in the role of "Mr. Mom." While some guys are good at helping out their wives at home, it would be nice if more men would pick up the slack of household duties for their working wives. However, men who are unemployed handle about as much of the child care duties as men who have jobs, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report. So what are these unemployed men doing with their days? Many of them spend more time sleeping, watching TV, job hunting or doing other tasks at home.