Expert commentary: lingering effects of the ‘she-cession’
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis is still being felt by many Americans, particularly women. The closure of schools and day cares drove many women to leave the labor force or scale back their participation. Although some women have returned to the workforce, the negative effects of lost work linger.
Susan Averett, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics and co-author of “Women in the Workforce: What Everyone Needs to Know” spoke with the Lehigh Valley Press about the effect of pandemic mitigation policies on women’s employment, as well as other challenges facing women in the workforce.
“I think this will hurt all women in the long term,” Averett said, “because they’ve lost out on advancement at the job. They’ve lost out on improving their skill set.”