Study Links Industrial Job Loss, Women’s Work, and Rightward Voting

Researchers studied what happens when many low-skilled men lose industrial jobs.

They found that women in those communities often start working for pay more than before.

This can change how families divide work and earn money.

Men may lose income and feel that their traditional role is being weakened.

Women may earn a larger share of the family’s money, but families can still become poorer overall.

Women may also have to combine paid work with their existing household duties.

The researchers say these changes can create support for politicians who promise a return to traditional gender roles.

They found that job losses alone did not produce the same Republican voting shift when women’s workforce participation did not also change.