New Report on Lasting Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Women

Posted by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity on April 19, 2022

In a new report, Resilient But Not Recovered: After Two Years of the COVID-19 Crisis, Women are Still Struggling, Jasmine Tucker and Julie Vogtman from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) explore the lasting impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women. From lost jobs to lasting health issues, the pandemic created a massive blow to our economy and overall lives, and Tucker and Vogtman found that women are still struggling to regain stability. According to NWLC polling, only “42% of women who lost or quit a job during the pandemic have found new employment compared to 67% of men.” Studies also show that caregiving demands keep women from re-entering the workforce. Among parents who lost or quit their jobs during the pandemic, only 41% of mothers have been able to obtain a new job, compared to 78% of fathers. “It’s been hard because…they were out of school, and with them out of school, that pretty much put my work to a halt anyway because somebody had to be there to watch them,” said one Georgia mother. As the nation recovers, at least three-quarters of women support policies that may mediate inequities uncovered by the pandemic, including universal paid family and medical leave, expanding access to high-quality and affordable childcare, and providing comprehensive health care with no cost-sharing.

Read the report.