The pandemic reshaped workplace policies and child-care arrangements in ways that are influencing women’s decisions to enter or stay in the workforce.Įconomists such as Lara Loewenstein at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland have pointed to the rise of remote and hybrid work, as well as more flexibility, as a likely contributor. “Out of necessity, many more women have had to reenter the job search process.” “Many of those supports are now gone,’’ said Pamela Nabors, president and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida. For consumers, that has meant higher costs for rent, groceries, gas, and a range of other goods and services.Īgainst that backdrop, Atkinson, chief executive of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said her group has seen a “marked increase” in the number of women requesting help accessing services that support basic needs like food and transportation.Īt the same time, many households are adjusting to the expiration of pandemic-era government aid, like the expanded child tax credit that led to many families receiving monthly payments. And while it has slowed since peaking in mid-2022, prices continue to rise at a rapid pace. Last year, US inflation surged to a 40-year high of 9.1 percent. “A second reason we’re seeing more women participating is, frankly, necessity,” said Atkinson. Tamara Atkinson, who heads up the workforce development board in the Austin area, said that an abundance of jobs and better pay has helped to bring more women into the workforce. By one measure, private-sector wages and salaries have climbed over 10 percent in the past two years.
That disconnect between labor demand and supply has forced businesses to rapidly increase wages to attract and retain workers. Job openings, while declining, continue to outnumber unemployed workers 1.6 to 1, and the unemployment rate - now just 3.4 percent - matches its lowest level since the early 1950s. “And when there are lots of jobs available, people step up to take them.” “We’ve had unquestionably a very strong recovery,” said Beth Almeida, a labor economist and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
But more than anything, it is driven by economic conditions: The US job market is strong, lifting participation for a variety of groups, and persistent inflation has pressured families to find ways to offset soaring costs. The bounce-back reflects everything from the rise of remote work to long-term trends such as more women getting college degrees. The milestone marks a surprisingly fast reversal from the depths of the COVID-19 crisis, which had undone years of progress in women’s workforce participation.
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