Australia: Men out of work as job market weakens

Article here. Excerpt:

'A rising number of male voters appears to be giving up the struggle to find work as the job market weakens, creating a soft underbelly in Labor’s traditional support base.

As Labor pitches itself as the best-placed party to manage a deteriorating economy, official figures showed the male participation rate plunged last month to its lowest level in almost nine years.

Experts say lower participation is a strong sign workers are becoming discouraged as employers scrap hiring plans and shed staff.

The falling proportion of active men helped soften upward pressure on the nation’s jobless rate – which held steady at 5.7 per cent in July.'