Quick Figure

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.

Despite Record Job Growth in March 2021, Gender Gap in Economic Recovery Widened

New March jobs data show that nearly one million (916,000) new payroll jobs were added, yet only one-third of these went to women (34.4 percent, or 315,000 payroll jobs). This marks an increased widening of the gender gap in recovery for a second month in a row. Women still need 4.6 million more jobs to get back to pre-COVID-19 levels, compared to men who need 3.8 million more jobs.

Women and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Five Charts and a Table Tracking the 2020 “She-Cession” by Race and Gender

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for the U.S. economy, and women, particularly women of color, have been hit especially hard. 2020 ended with women’s numbers of jobs on payroll being still much further below their February levels than men’s.

Women’s Share of Unemployment Insurance Claimants varies Strongly Across States

In 42 of 50 states and DC, women were the majority of unemployment insurance claimants. A third of all unemployed women, and four in ten Latinas, have been out of work for more than 26 weeks. The receipt of unemployment benefits, including those provided under the CARES Act, substantially reduces but do not eliminate the odds of hunger or foreclosure threats for women and their families.

Despite Modest Employment Gains, Women Still 5.5 Million Jobs Below Pre-Pandemic Level

New October jobs data show women gained 280,000 (43.9 percent) of 638,000 new non-farm payroll jobs since October.

Women Fall Further Behind Men in Recovery and Are 5.8 Million Jobs Below Pre-COVID Employment Level

New jobs figures from September show much less job growth than in the previous month, particularly for women, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics latest Employment Situation release. Women’s official rates unemployment fell, while the number of women who are no longer actively looking for work increased.

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Notes: Estimates presented for All Women are based on [...]

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1960–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity in 2059

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s Median Earnings, 1960-2019 (Full-time, Year-round Workers) with Projection for Pay Equity in 2059