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Women Make Gains in Men-Dominated Jobs, but Still Lag Behind in COVID-19 Recovery

Employment data released in April 2022 show another month of strong job growth. Women gained the majority of total job growth and moved into men-dominated jobs, like construction. Still, women are still much further than men from reaching pre-pandemic levels.

Construction Workers Need Paid Leave to Rebuild the Nation

Evidence from California suggests that construction workers face the highest COVID-19 infection rates of any other sector. IWPR’s 2021 survey of tradeswomen across states shows that most construction workers who needed to take leave during COVID-19 had to do so without pay.

The Gender Pay Gap, 1985 to 2020—with Forecast for Achieving Pay Equity, by Race and Ethnicity

If progress continue at the same rate as it has since 1985, it will take until 2059 to reach full pay equity between all women and men workers.

The Gender Pay Gap, 1960 to 2020—with Forecast for Achieving Pay Equity

If progress continues at the same rate as it has since 1960, it will still take another 39 years, until 2059, to reach full equity between women and men among full-time, year-round workers.

Strong Jobs Growth for Women in July, but a Troubling Recovery of Child Care Jobs

New July jobs data show that women’s jobs grew by 649,000, marking the largest jobs growth since August 2020. Yet women’s recovery continues to lag behind men’s: Women still need 3.1 million more jobs on payroll to get back to pre-COVID levels. And, child care centers are recovering much more slowly than the overall economy, signaling difficulties for women’s return to work.

Even as Payroll Jobs Recover, Young Workers Face Unemployment and a Hostile Labor Market

New June jobs data show the strongest monthly job growth for women since August 2020. Despite this, it will still take women another 9.3 months to get back to pre-COVID-10 levels, compared with 6.7 months for men. Further, the unemployment rate increased slightly, with rates of unemployment remaining twice as high for younger workers.

A Slow Climb Back from the “She-Cession”: High Jobs Deficit in Child Care and School Sectors Continues

New May jobs data show that despite greater jobs gains, women’s recovery continues to lag behind that of men. Women’s jobs on payroll are still 4.2 million below pre-COVID-19 levels, compared with 3.5 million fewer jobs on payroll for men. Further, high jobs deficits in schools and child care centers point to difficulties for employed mothers and mothers wanting to return to work.

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