Help Unemployed Dads Get Through `Man-Cession'

Forget the tie, unemployed dads need more useful gifts this Father's Day (Jun. 20), like a laptop to help search for job leads.

Thursday, June 17, 2010 2:08 GMT

According to career expert John Challenger of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, unemployment amongst dads is so rampant, the weak job market and recession is being referred to as a “Man-cession.”

Challenger says three-fourths of those losing their jobs are men because male-dominated industries like manufacturing, construction, and automotive are being hit the hardest.

Thus, he suggests kids give their unemployed dads a Father’s Day gift geared toward helping them land work.

That includes a new cell phone so Dad never misses a call from potential employers or a laptop to keep him constantly linked online looking for job leads.

Other great gifts for jobless dads: A crash-course in using social networks like Facebook to find jobs, taking over his household chores so he has more time to job hunt, and basics like a haircut, toiletries, and a shoe shine so he looks his very best for interviews.