WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says a claim by Mitt Romney about disproportionate job losses by women during the Obama administration is "misleading and ridiculous."

Romney said last week that 92.3 percent of jobs lost since President Barack Obama took office were lost by women. He said the "real war on women is being waged by the president's failed economic policies."

While the statistic is accurate, the recession began 13 months before Obama took office. Men have lost more jobs overall during the downturn — 3.4 million, compared with 1.8 million lost by women.

Geithner notes that manufacturing and construction job losses were heavy in the early days of the recession, while professions with more women, such as teaching, were hurt later.

Geithner spoke Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."