United States Adds Nearly 1 Million Jobs in March 2021

Bureau of Labor Statistics Report Indicates Turning Point for Gender Equity

We recently discussed the ongoing effort to achieve gender equality in the workplace and the challenges that exist for women particularly due to COVID-19. For many, the question has been this: Will women return to the workforce once the pandemic has eased? This month, we received some positive news indicating that the answer is yes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their monthly report for March 2021 indicating that 916,000 jobs were added. The unemployment rate decreased slightly from 6.2 to 6 percent.

In addition, the data showed that 492,000 women reentered the workforce last month. As The Washington Post reported, here is why that is critical information:

This data also showed a reversal of a trend troubling economists: Women driven out of the workforce by the disproportionate impact of pandemic restrictions on female-dominated industries and the lack of school and adequate child-care options.

In March, 492,000 women reentered the workforce as schools reopened for in-person learning, while 144,000 men left it, bringing the number of men and women who have left the workforce into roughly equal proportions, according to Labor Department data.

Source: The Washington Post

Just one month earlier, in February 2021, 56 percent of people who left the workforce in the last year were women. As of March, women now represent less than half of all displaced workers.

While this data is positive, it will continue to be critical for all employers, including those of us in senior care and skilled nursing care, to do whatever we can to support women in their return to work. If we can offer any guidance or support, please do not hesitate to reach out.