We Confront a Devastating Blow to Women’s Advancement as Millions Leave the Workforce

Co-authored by Zoë Baird, CEO and President of Markle Foundation and Debra Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women and Families.

If we continue to stand by as women leave the workforce at the rate seen in past months - four times that of men - we are not only going to reverse the progress that has been made on workplace gender equality, but we will also leave women and their families vulnerable to long-term economic consequences from the pandemic. We need a national strategy to support women during this time of crisis - helping them to return to work and transition to good jobs. 

Nearly 2.2 million women have left the workforce and stopped looking for work since February, which includes 616,000 Latinas (28%) and 447,000 Black women (20%). Women are experiencing devastating job losses due to the collapse of traditionally women-dominated sectors like health care, leisure and hospitality, education and child care, leading to fewer opportunities. 

Of the women who remain in the workforce, 4.4 million are currently unemployed. Extreme disparities in job loss by background and race are also clear. The rate of unemployment for white women in November this year, was 5.4%, compared to 9% for Black women and 8.2 for Latina women.

For working mothers of young children - of which there were 10 million in 2019 - the lack of paid leave and child care and elder care options, have forced them to reduce their hours or leave the workforce all together. This comes as many parts of the country are experiencing record daily COVID cases, reducing access to child care and in person schooling, and making it harder for women to return to work.

It is estimated that mothers leaving the workforce because of caregiving responsibilities could result in $64.5 billion per year in lost wages and economic activity.

Re-entry into work is further hampered by the accelerated digitization of work during the pandemic, meaning that many of the jobs that do come back will require new digital skills. Prior to the pandemic, 8 in 10 middle-skill jobs already required basic technology skills, yet one-third of American workers have limited or no digital skills. Black and Latino workers are disproportionately affected by the digital skills gap due to inequities in access to high quality education and the resources to get training. Better paying jobs may require a broader range of new skills such as people management and communication, negotiation, advanced numerical and other STEM-related skills.

Restoring women to strength as we confront this economic crisis will require three key actions.

First, with unemployment likely to remain high for some time it is critical that the government provide unemployment insurance and immediate income assistance to the un- and underemployed. Women and their families need government financial support for food, housing, and other vital needs.

Second, we must improve the overall quality of jobs to which women may return by improving wages, working conditions and benefits. As plans are developed for infrastructure, clean energy, and public health government investments, we must ensure that the jobs created are good jobs. Further, as we pursue infrastructure investments we should examine the infrastructure of modern care like child care, long term care and paid family and medical leave. This is important to 72 percent of Americans, according to a bipartisan poll taken during the week of the election.

Third, it will take bold public investments in an adult training system that prepares women for new and emerging jobs that will come as part of the economic recovery. The pandemic has permanently changed the labor market. We need to open opportunities to women who need to, or wish to, change roles and help them move into better jobs.

The need to help workers emerge from this crisis stronger is why the National Partnership for Women and Families and the Markle Foundation are working together along with many other deeply committed partners in the Rework America Alliance. We are helping those who face the greatest barriers to employment -- particularly those without a bachelor’s degree, who are disproportionately women and people of color -- obtain good jobs in the new economy. We are working to increase opportunities for people who cannot return to their previous roles and need to move to a new role or industry - a reality that many women are confronting at this time. In partnership with UnidosUS, NAACP, National Urban League, and corporate partners such as Google, IBM, CVS Health and others, the Alliance will help those most in need of support by working closely with organizations nationwide which are already making a difference in the communities they serve.

This is our moment to act. We are at risk of leaving millions of women behind. We must provide the support to help women emerge from this crisis stronger.