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Recognizing and supporting working women and mothers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in honor of Women's History Month and calling for a robust federal response to our nation's first "She-cession".
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WHEREAS, The Great Recession harmed industries dominated by men, the current economic downturn has predominately impacted sectors that employ women and people of color, especially in low-wage jobs, such as retail and food service that must be done in person, creating our country's first ever "she-cession"; and
WHEREAS, This year, female unemployment reached double digits for the first time since 1948, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking women's joblessness. Just before the pandemic hit, for the first time ever, there had more women employed than men. Nearly 11 million jobs held by women disappeared from February to May 2020, erasing decades of job gains by women; and
WHEREAS, White women have not been such a small share of the population with a job since the late 1970s, and women of color, who are more likely to be sole breadwinners and low-income workers, are suffering even more acutely. The unemployment rate for Latinas was 15.3 percent in June 2020. For Black women, it was 14 percent; and
WHEREAS, Bars, restaurants, and retail stores that were forced to close their doors disproportionately employ women and people of color, according to a study by the Keystone Research Center. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania workers in health care, warehouses, and grocery stores - who have worked front-line jobs during the pandemic - are nearly two-thirds female, 50% more likely to be Black, and slightly more likely to be Hispanic; and
WHEREAS, In June 2020, women regained 2.9 million positions, but those jobs, which are largely in the hospitality field, remain insecure as COVID-19's continued spread forces ongoing changes in business operations; and
WHEREAS, With one out of three jobs held by women designated as essential, the women in these vitally imp...
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