Geithner: Mitt off base on women's jobs

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WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- Mitt Romney's claims about the loss of jobs for women in recent years were off base, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Sunday.

Geithner told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that saying women took the brunt of the job losses during the Obama presidency was "misleading and ridiculous" and ignored the blow men took early on when manufacturing and construction were being pummeled.

"The recession started in 2008," Geithner said. "It was already a year in the making before President Obama came into office."

Geithner said job losses for women came along later when cash-strapped cities began large-scale layoffs in education.

CBS said Romney's campaign responded by saying women had seen little help in the way of job creation.