Buzzword: He-cession

What it means. James Brown used to sing about this being a man's world, but we're not sure the Godfather of Soul had today's recession in mind when he first recorded "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" back in 1966.

A he-cession, a term that will undoubtedly lose that dash soon enough, is an economic downturn in which men are disproportionately impacted by unemployment. The situation can lead to more men staying home and taking over much of the cleaning, cooking, laundry, and other household jobs.

Why the buzz? In this country, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the spread in unemployment between men and women in February stands at 1.5 points— 8.8 percent for men and 7.3 percent for women. (Read more about the U.S. situation in this column by Greg Burns in the Chicago Tribune.) And north of the border in Canada, the 7.5 percent unemployment rate for men is two points higher than that for women, according to an April 9 report in The Globe and Mail.

Traditionally male-dominated jobs in construction and manufacturing have contracted more rapidly than service and medical jobs, many of which are held by women. "Canadian men had better get used to doing more cooking and cleaning, because the women are bringing home the bacon now," the story notes about these boom-to-brooms economic times. "It's great to come home and smell dinner," said one Canadian woman whose husband was laid off from a Ford plant and has now taken over most of the household chores—except for scrubbing the toilet.

So, fellas, whether you're spending additional time at home because you are out of work or you just want to help out more, engender household-chore efficiency and equality by using these easy cleaning strategies, undertaking spring cleaning, and maintaining your appliances. And if you're the family grillmeister, try these easy grilling recipes.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Some husbands can overdo it, as we recently reported on the case of a German woman who divorced her housework-happy husband. If you're in the market for a new vacuum, read our buying guide. And visit our cleaning supplies hub for information on detergents, household cleaners, and more.