COVID-19 and Recovery Response
As the pandemic enters its third year and the nation turns to recovery, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research is committed to amplifying and addressing the challenges women face. IWPR’s new research provides insights and recommendations for policymakers to help meet the urgent and long-term needs of women, their families, and their communities.
Biden’s newly signed rescue plan will help get parents back to work- by supporting child care
By Martha C. White Much of the concern about women’s waning labor force participation during the pandemic has been focused on the burden borne by mothers forced to choose between work and the supervision and education of their young children. Far less attention has been oriented towards the companies and workers within the industry itself, until now. Advocates were cheered by the passage of the $1.9 trillion Covid-relief bill, signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday afternoon. The plan includes [...]
Pushed out by pandemic, women struggle to regain footing in U.S. job market
By Jonnelle Marte and Aleksandra Michalska (Reuters) - Katy McAvoy hoped she would have more time for her job search after her 5-year-old daughter started in-person kindergarten in mid-November after months of virtual learning due to the pandemic. But the school near Grand Rapids, Michigan closed again a week later as COVID-19 infections surged there and across much of the country. The unpredictable schedule made it difficult for McAvoy to find time for interviews and networking or to figure out [...]
COVID-19 Related Long-Term Unemployment Could Lead to Long-Term Scarring, Especially for Women of Color
Almost four in ten unemployed women have now been out of work long-term, for 27 weeks or longer. Between February 2020 and January 2021, the number of unemployed women almost doubled (from 2.7 to 4.8 million), but the number of long-term unemployed more than tripled (from 491,000 to 1.9 million). While the overall rate of unemployment fell slightly in January (to 6.3%), the share of unemployed women who were unemployed for more than half a year increased (to 38.9%). Added [...]
More Than 50% Of Women Say They’ve Cut Back Working Hours Due to Caretaking Responsibilities During the Pandemic
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO of MomsRising and Institute for Women's Policy Research CEO, Dr. C. Nicole Mason, join Cheddar to discuss the long-term impact of the pandemic on women in the workforce. Watch Video
With One Move, Congress Could Lift Millions Of Children Out Of Poverty
By Cory Turner and Anya Kamenetz The COVID-19 relief bill working its way through Congress is full of big ideas to help people. But there's one idea that's so big, it was politically unthinkable not that long ago. President Biden and Democratic lawmakers want to fight child poverty by giving U.S. families a few hundred dollars every month for every child in their household — no strings attached. A kind of child allowance. If this proposal survives the wrangling in [...]
As Low Wage Care Jobs Projected to Increase Over the Decade, the Minimum Wage Needs to Increase Too
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the pernicious effect of deep racial and gender inequities in the labor market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 10-year projections about growing (and declining) jobs suggest a grim post-COVID future. The projections are published annually after extensive consultations about likely change for 790 detailed occupations with industry and demographic experts; for 2019-2029 they estimate that there will be 4.78 million more workers in the workforce in 2029 than in 2019 and their model [...]
