More worrying is the fact one in five black men are currently unemployed - more than double the employment rate for white men.
The male unemployment rate is expected to rise above 10% by the start of next year and peak at 11% (1.9 million men).
According to research launched today by the CIPD, male unemployment currently stands at 9% (compared with a female unemployment rate of 6.9%). But the number of men unemployed has increased by 50% during the recession, while the number of women unemployed as increased by a much lower 33.4%.
By summer 2009 the employment rate of men dropped to 75.8% and only twice since the Second World War - 1993 and 1994 - had employment been so low for males.
John Philpott, CIPD's chief economist, said: "A focus on the relatively hard impact of the recession on men should not detract from the absolute deterioration in the labour market situation facing both sexes. Indeed, it is likely that the relative position of women will itself deteriorate in the coming decade as real cuts in public expenditure have an adverse impact on public sector employment.
"However, it is important to highlight the current plight of men in the labour market, not least because once the impact of recession and a ‘jobs-light' recovery is fully felt, the proportion of UK men in work will probably have fallen to a record low."
