Women to outnumber men in work within four years

The Conservative-leaning Policy Exchange says that women at work will outnumber men in four years.

The think tank says that men have been hit harder by the recession, creating a "Full Monty" effect.

The proportion of men of working age who have jobs has fallen from 92 per cent in 1971 to 75 per cent now. For women the percentage has increased from 56 per cent to 60 per cent.

The recession has hit men harder than women, with the number of men in work falling since June 2009, whereas the number of women in work has increased.

Director of Policy Exchange, Neil O'Brien, said: "We are having Full Monty-style recession, with women faring much better than men."

The Full Monty was a 1997 film telling the story of how out of work men turned to stripping to earn money.

Men in traditional manufacturing industries have undoubtedly suffered from the decline in manufacturing in the UK since the 1970s. The sector has fallen by an average of 1.2 per cent in every year in the last decade.

It is time for men to change tack and take hold of their own professional lives. Men need to move into sectors where the jobs are, and get on their metaphorical bikes.