While still in high school, Paul Griego dabbled in restaurant work in Santa Fe so he could buy his first car. Then, one summer, he helped a cousin build a cabin in Pecos — and found out he loved construction work.

Griego quickly decided to follow up on his discovery and attended the vocational-technical program at Santa Fe High School. Upon graduation in 1984, he apprenticed with Carpenters Union Local 1353 and earned certification as a journeyman, which meant union wages.

He had plenty of work from then on, earning as much as $26 an hour as a construction manager while getting health insurance and a pension through the union.

"I've been so lucky," Griego said. "I always worked with a general contractors. You learn how to do everything — concrete, set forms, drywall, framing, hang windows and doors. I've worked all over town, the cathedral, La Fonda's parking lot. It's been great."

But it's been six months since his last job, which was with Sarcon Construction. And his bank account — his father always urged him to save — is dwindling even as he receives state unemployment. "I haven't been laid off in 16 years," Griego said. That is, until now.

Men fare worse

The recession that has gripped the United States since early 2008 has been especially brutal for men. Nationally, it's being called a "He-Cession," with the unemployment rate for adult men now at 10.5 percent, while it is 7.9 percent for adult women. In New Mexico, some 60 percent of the new claims for unemployment are from men, while in Santa Fe County it's 56 percent, according to the state Department of Workforce Solutions.

That's no surprise to Herb Greenwall, director of economic research for Workforce Solutions. Statewide, the construction industry is 83 percent male and the oil and gas business is 86 percent male. The areas that have seen job growth — education and health care — are just 38 percent and 21 percent male.

"Where men work is where we're being slapped in this recession," Greenwall said. "Agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing."

Dave Zerbst, a state employment specialist who works with those age 50 and over, said job loss for men can be tied to self-esteem. Those issues often make it harder for men to regroup and move on. "It's painful to acknowledge you lost a job, even if you lost it for good reason. It's painful and embarrassing," Zerbst said.

Even though more men than women have been displaced from jobs, his office sees more women than men come in and ask for help. "We men have a lot more difficulty expanding ourselves than women," he said.

Zerbst said the reality of the economy is that many mid- to upper-management jobs will never come back. That means some men will have to move into entirely new careers, which means they may be out of work longer than usual.

In fact, 63 percent of those in New Mexico collecting unemployment for six months or longer are men. Of those collecting for 12 months or more, 58 percent are men, again according to the state Department of Workforce Solutions.

"Guys in middle and upper management may be the last ones to find new jobs," Zerbst said. "Senior executive jobs just don't exist anymore."

One doesn't need to remind Mike Montgomery, 59, of that fact.

The Eldorado resident has a master's degree in business and worked at the global tobacco company Philip Morris until 2000, when he relocated to Santa Fe. He's had a few jobs since, but work has really dried up in the last year.

One interview was with a company that loved his experience and résumé. But, Montgomery said, "When I walked in the door, I knew they had made their decision: I wasn't (just) out of college, I wasn't female and I wasn't perky or attractive."

He is willing to adjust his expectations and said he would take a job for under $30,000 if he were able to use new skills he wants to advance, such as writing or Photoshop. He also applied for a job with the U.S. Census, where at $9.50 to $13.50 an hour he'd be returning to the salary of an entry-level executive position he held in 1981.

He understands Santa Fe is a tough place for men with his experience. "You have to work harder to get a job and be willing to work harder to keep it."

Steve Manion, 57, is in the same boat. He has a bachelor's degree in social sciences and spent 28 years as a manager with a telephone company. He's skilled as a project and team leader, and is organized and detail-oriented. He successfully led teams in information technology, in testing and software development, as well as customer relations.

A lot of people he meets moved to Santa Fe to retire, but with finances tight, want to return to work and can't. Instead, he and a partner are looking out of town in hopes of moving someplace where the cost of living is lower, and the job market friendlier to his skills.

Making do

On a recent morning at the Workforce Solutions office in Santa Fe, 15 men were using the computers to look for job leads or waiting for telephones or assistance.

The ones interviewed were trying to make do.

Gene Gallegos, 68, was recently laid off from the parts department at Santa Fe Nissan, but said he had worked steadily until this year. He has a truck with a snowplow and is hoping to pick up plowing jobs this winter.

"I'm doing just a little bit of everything," said the St. Michael's High School graduate.

Likewise for Michael, a Santa Fe High grad who declined to give his last name.

"I have some firewood cut. I'm trying to sell homemade jerky. I'm a hustler. This is the first time I've been without a job in 30 years."

For Henry Grier, 35, a graduate of Manzano High School in Albuquerque, the odds are tougher. He's African American, and men in his group have an unemployment rate of 18 percent.

Additionally, he has a criminal record from an assault in Nevada. He worked as a welder for years, has been a restaurant cook, then went to Alamogordo earlier this year for a seasonal job in a call center.

He, his wife and four kids lived in a car for several months and now are rehabbing a house in Pecos in exchange for rent. Like many men out of work, he has marketable and practical skills. "Paint, drywall, landscaping, plumbing — I can do it all," he said.

Last week, Grier went to a job interview at the Flying Star in Santa Fe. There were 60 applicants, he said.

"I did what I did, and I accept it. I understand my mistake," he said of his criminal record. "It's bad for everyone, not just me. I want the chance to support my family just like everyone else."

Learning new skills

Unlike others, Griego is confident there will always be a need for carpenters. He is collecting state unemployment and stays in constant touch with his union.

Griego has joined Caballeros de Vargas, and as the organization's secretary is learning to use a computer for the first time in his life. As a construction supervisor in the past, he filed hand-written reports, but knows that increasingly the work is migrating to laptops — and so he is getting ready for when he returns to work. A brother, who has moved in to help with the mortgage, is helping Griego learn, and he is also considering taking a class in computer skills.

Because Griego has always worked, weekday Mass at his parish, St. Anne's, was not possible. But now he goes more often, and is enjoying that part of his life. He is doing projects on his own home, finishing a grotto and laying flagstone given to him by the Rev. Leo Ortiz. And every day he remembers the words of his father.

"He said, 'Save your money, you're going to need it.' "

Contact Bruce Krasnow at brucek@sfnewmexican.com.