COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economic security and well-being of families. In addition to finding and sustaining employment, many families are struggling with food insufficiency, a direct consequence of lost earnings. Nationally, more than 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children are food insecure.
A wave of women candidates has the potential to bring an agenda for broad and inclusive change to Congress and state legislatures across the country.
Women comprise more than 50 percent of the U.S. population but currently hold just 23 percent of elected seats in Congress and about 1 in 3 state legislative seats. In 2018, a record number of women were elected to office—117 women, including 42 women of color—bringing their expertise, diverse experiences, and agenda for broad and inclusive change to Congress and state legislatures across the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the pernicious effect of gender and racial inequality, and the profound undervaluation of some of the most essential jobs for society, ones that require the care and supports of families.
The Status of Women in North Carolina: Political Participation presents data on several aspects of women’s involvement in the political process in North Carolina, comparing North Carolina to other states and the United States overall.
Sexual and reproductive health and well-being plays a central role in the lives of young adults. The report describes existing gaps in service provision and highlights a range of practices that can be replicated and scaled up to expand access for community college students.
New jobs figures from July show much less job growth than in the previous month, and while women were the majority of those who gained jobs, they continue to face a higher jobs deficit than men, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics latest Employment Situation release.
Nearly four million U.S. undergraduate college students are parents or guardians of children under the age of 18. These student parents, who already faced immense financial, child care, food, and housing insecurity before the COVID-19 pandemic, are now dealing with multiple new barriers, including school closures, lay-offs, and child care disruptions, among other challenges.
The economy added 4.8 million to non-farm payroll employment, according to the latest U.S. Bureau Employment Situation Release. Yet, while women gained the majority of new job, they continue to lag further behind men in terms of getting back to pre-COVID 19 employment levels.
In the United States, women now make up more than 50 percent of the workforce, reflecting growth in health care, education, and service sectors over the last decade. The decline of the wages and real earnings of all workers over time coupled with the rise in cost of living expenses, such as housing, means that the income and earnings of women are critical to the overall economic security and wellbeing of families.
