Now that we know the facts, what are we going to do?
From all reports, our current recession was supposed to be friendlier to women than men – who can forget “the man-cession”? Many of the job losses have been in fields (such as manufacturing and construction) that disproportionately employ men, while other woman-dominated occupations (such as education and healthcare) have continued to add jobs.
The latest news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, is not so great for women. Single women with children saw their unemployment rate rise to 13 percent in December 2009 – the highest it has been in more than 25 years, according the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation (click here for more details). In fact, this rate has increased pretty steadily – up from 11.4 percent a month earlier and 9.5 percent a year ago. Number-wise, this translates into 310,000 more families in need.
What should we do with this information? Can we please start paying attention to the implications of these data in our public benefits, workforce development and work support policies? Please?
Graph credit: Institute for Women’s Policy Research
