Covid statistics are everywhere these days. Women (read Moms) are taking themselves out of the workforce in such numbers that since February 2020, 2.3mm women have left the workforce v. 1.8mm men. 196,000 women lost their jobs in December which was 86.3% of the job loss.*
Most of these jobs were in hospitality, education, retail or health care and were low wage jobs. Clearly these Moms do not have clout enough to get their employers to adjust for the fact that they have small children that can’t be left at home by themselves. That is not going to happen. These people had to choose.
As employers, we aren’t bad guys. We have companies to run. Many of us have been very generous with our family leave well beyond the state requirements. The problem is a systems problem.
Our parenting system relies mostly on Moms. Until children go to elementary school, it is up to the Mom to get childcare if she wants to/must work or provide it herself. When children are in school, someone has to cover childcare after school until parents can retrieve their kids. Enter Covid and none of that exists anymore. Older siblings are put in charge of the younger ones as both parents work, or someone quits and stays home.
The worst part is that the economists say this won’t right itself when the pandemic ends. They believe the gender wage gap will grow by another 5 points.This is why Biden’s increase in the child credit, the $300 federal unemployment compensation and increase to the minimum wage have so much support. It would disproportionately help women, children and low wage workers.
I feel very hopeful that with the vaccine, we will see schools reopen and Moms getting a little relief. When more sectors open up, the jobs will come back. Let’s all be mindful of how we can offer an opportunity to those who have been doing double and triple duty this last year.
And if you are one of the “sheros ” who have been holding our families all together, I salute you! Hang in there just a little bit longer. The kids will go back to school and you will get a couple of minutes to breathe.
image courtesy Ernesto Ricon blog