About 617,000 women left the U.S. labor force in September, compared to 78,000 men, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on 2 October.
Half of the women who left were ages 35 to 44, considered prime working and earning years.
The large number of women leaving the workforce is attributed to women’s dominant place in the hard-hit leisure and hospitality industry, where they work as food servers, hotel maids, and similar in-person jobs, many of which have disappeared permanently. Also, women are more likely to stay at home when children are schooling remotely.
In addition, childcare options have shrunk during the economic shutdown, noted Russell Price, Chief Economist at Ameriprise Financial. Employment in childcare services was 18 percent less in September than in January this year, he said.
“I do not like depending on the government, and I’m sure the other moms in my position feel the same way,” said one woman. “There has to be something that the government can figure out to help us.”
Stimulus negotiations between Congress and the Trump administration have deadlocked and the Senate is not expected to reconvene until after the 3 November election.
TREND FORECAST: As the “Greatest Depression” worsens and unemployment increases… and as more schooling trends toward online learning over the decades, more parents, mostly women, will stay home to raise their children.
