FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 4, 2020

Contact: Keri A. Potts | 860-839-3438 | [email protected]



Despite Slight Jobs Growth, Gains are Slowing, Particularly Impacting Mothers and Black Women

Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) Statement: Women continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID 19 pandemic as they remain 6.1 million jobs below pre-COVID levels from February, despite making a gain of 800,000 jobs compared with men’s 600,000 new jobs since July. Adult women retain a higher unemployment rate than adult men (8.4 percent vs. 8.0 percent). In addition, we are seeing a continued strong adverse impact of unemployment on race and gender:

Black women have the highest unemployment rate (12.0%) among women, compared with Hispanic (10.5%) and White (7.3%) women workers.
Hispanic and White women workers experienced the greatest declines in unemployment of all workers at 25.0% and 24.0% respectively. Black women's unemployment declined by a slight 11.1%. Asian workers' unemployment declined by just 10.8% since July.

Throughout this 'she-cession', women’s rates of unemployment have been worse than men’s because job loss has been particularly severe in sectors such as Leisure and Hospitality, Retail, and parts of Health and Education services where women are the majority of the workforce, and which disproportionately employ Black and Hispanic women.

The lack of recovery of ‘Child Care Services’ illustrates the difficulties for many working mothers as the economy slowly recovers. Employment in child care services declined between July and August, and while employment overall is back at 92.4 percent of February levels, in Child Care services it still is at only 79.4 percent.

BLS Data Show Slowed Job Growth for Women and Men

View Figure

Women’s Employment Still Far Below Pre-COVID Levels

View Figure

IWPR will release its quick figure analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) unemployment numbers next week. View August's quick figure analysis here.

###

Contact: Keri A. Potts, IWPR Vice President External Affairs | [email protected] | 860-839-3438

Institute for Women's Policy Research

1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301

Washington, DC 20036
Unsubscribe:
[link removed]

This message was sent to [email protected] from [email protected]

Institute for Women's Policy Research
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301
Washington, DC 20036
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

iContact - Try it for FREE: [link removed]