The COVID-19 pandemic led to many people being forced to leave the workplace. Whether workers switched to remote work or had to leave their positions altogether, labor force participation declined significantly in the early months of the pandemic. Women were affected by the changes of the pandemic even more so due to the societal expectation that they uphold all caregiving duties.
Women are 5 to 8x more likely to have their careers impacted by caregiving than men. 32% of women report they feel they need to stay home in order to care for their children and loved ones, and 12% report that the cost of hiring caregivers has prevented them from seeking work. As children switched to online learning, more women left their jobs in order to support them.
Today, as schools and daycares return to a fully in-person routine, women are beginning to reenter the workforce. In fact, women’s participation in the labor force has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. In March 2023, more than 77.8 million women were active in the U.S workforce. By providing affordable childcare and supporting women entering the workforce, we can expect continued increases in economic participation and the many benefits that follow. To learn more about women reentering the workforce after the pandemic, take a look at the infographic below:
Source: Sieber Plastic Surgery