Women are outpacing men when it comes to coronavirus-related job losses, new data shows.

The Hill reported that more women, by a margin of 10 points, have lost their jobs during the pandemic than men. That's in contrast to the 2009 financial crash, during which men were the biggest victims.

"This is a really atypical recession, in that we've proactively shut down major sectors of the economy and there's a drop-off in demand that we've never seen before, both caused by the global health crisis," Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, told The Hill.

A closer look at the numbers shows why women are more affected. Female workers make up 73% of clothing store employees, 71% of those who work in gift, novelty, and souvenir stores, and 75% of people who work in flower shops. They also dominate the food industry and salons. As those industries shut down, women lost their jobs.

The other factor at play, according to Economic Policy Institute senior economist Elise Gould, are the jobs women hold in industries dominated by men.

"I think that has to do with the occupations within the sectors," Gould said of women's job losses in the retail trade, professional, and business services industries.

"Women have been less likely to be promoted into the positions that are more likely to be protected."

Almost 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since March 21, when closures related to the coronavirus brought the economy to a near halt.

Senior White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said over the weekend that unemployment could surpass 20%.

• Teen Unemployment Hits 32 Percent
• California's April Jobless Rate Higher Than Great Recession