He-cession vs. She-cession -- Who's Getting It Worse?

One of the more popular recession-trend stories of the last month has been an examination of how men are being hit harder by job losses than women.

The cold hard fact is that 15 months ago, unemployment was at 4.4 percent for men and 4.3 for women, while as of February it stands 8.8 for males and 7.3 for females. One theory is that male-dominated industries, such as construction, are laying off more people, while females more often work in the more secure service industries.

Still, it's not all good news for the ladies, who are less likely to be laid off partly because they make up a higher percentage of the lower-paying jobs that companies are less likely to cut.

Furthermore, the job-loss gender discrepancy doesn't extend to upper-management positions, where statistics suggest men and women are being laid off at similar rates. In fact, some women -- particularly those on Wall Street -- believe firms are using the recession to lower the glass ceiling.

So as the bad times continue, which sex will suffer the most from this economy? And if it's us, will the blow to our masculinity drive us into depression and general sloth, as some studies have suggested?