Catherwood LibraryILR School

During the Great Recession in 2008, twice as many men lost their jobs as women - this time around, it's women who have been adversely affected by job and incomes losses. 11.5 million female employees have lost their jobs between February and May, as compared to 9 million males, reversing a decade of employment gains. Women are often dependent on childcare to be able to work, and in female-dominant industries such as hospitality, leisure, and education, the job losses have been particularly harsh on Black and Latina women. The unemployment rate for Hispanic women has hit 21%, whereas their unemployment rate was barely affected during the Great Recession. Hiring improved slightly in May, but not for Black women, where 1 in 6 remained unemployed that month. In addition, at least 70% of Black, immigrant domestic workers have lost their jobs or have experienced decreased pay or hours. While the number of women earning back their jobs improved substantially from May to early June, they are still far from pre-pandemic employment levels. Employment has not improved in childcare services, which means if children attend school remotely in the fall, it will increase the hardship on female workers who are typically the caregiver in the household.