“We’re seeing women feeling like they’re stalling in their careers, or they are in jeopardy of losing financial security,” continues Richard. “We’re also seeing that our support systems that were normally in place around childcare, school, the things that really allowed women to be successful in the workplace, those supports have been pulled.”
We also know that disruption to employment caused by COVID-19 has exacerbated long-standing workplace challenges faced by many women of color. Looking at the unemployment numbers at the end of 2020, Richard points out that, “women account for 100% of jobs lost in December, with the highest rates of unemployment among Black, Latina, and other demographic groups. The rate of unemployment for Black women was 8.4%. The rate for Latina women was 9.1%.”
“The industries that have been hit the hardest are retail, restaurant, and hospitality,” adds Richard. “When you look at the demographic breakdown of people in those industries, primarily you see, one, a large concentration of women, and, two, a large concentration of Black and Latinx women.”