Are we in a she-cession?

COVID-19 has created, for the first time in U.S. history, an economic downturn that has disproportionately affected women. Unlike the Great Recession of 2008 during which the manufacturing, production and construction sectors (sectors most commonly employing men) suffered disproportionately, this recession has impacted women disproportionately. This disparity, combined with other factors such as a crisis in child care, has created what has been termed a “She-cession” (New York Times, May 13).

Between January and May 2020, 11.5 million women lost their jobs in the United States compared with 9 million men. (“Building the Future: Bold Policies for a Gender-Equitable Recovery,” Institute for Women’s Policy Research, November). While much of this job loss was subsequently reversed, disproportionate job losses remain. Three of the four hardest hit sectors 1) hospitality and food service, 2) retail and wholesale trade, and 3) services including arts, recreation and administration, predominantly employ women. (“COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Countering the Regressive Effects,” McKinsey Institute, July).

In addition to job loss, a crisis in the child care system, both from decrease in nationwide child care capacity (child care enrollment was down 67 percent by July of 2020 according to the IWPR report), and children home due to remote learning, has increased workday home responsibilities for women. According to the McKinsey report, the time women spend on household responsibilities has increased by 1.5-2 hours per day due to COVID.

Finally, the gender wage gap fuels the disparate impact of COVID. In Connecticut, the average fulltime working woman earns 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man, with Black women earning 57 cents and Latinex women earning 48 cents (U.S. Census, 2018). Over time, this difference accumulates with the average U.S. women earning more than $500,000 less over a 40year career than a man. (Center for American Progress, “Quick Facts About the Gender Wage Gap,” March). Men as a group are employed in higher paying jobs than women, and wage disparities persist between men and women performing the same jobs with the same performance. Regardless of the factors contributing to the gap, the wage disparity means that women as a group overall have a thinner economic “cushion” to withstand economic shocks, such as those delivered by COVID.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in October the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women in Connecticut (the “PCSW”) launched a statewide data collection initiative titled “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on CT’s Women.”

Our goal is to gather the facts and data to quantify this economic impact in our state. The data collected by this research will form the basis of a report issued in the first quarter of 2021 to the governor’s office, Connecticut General Assembly, organizations that serve women, employers, and citizens. This work does not suggest men’s experiences during COVID-19 aren’t equally valid, or that other groups have not been disproportionately affected. They are, and they have. However, by focusing on the data related to women, our aim is to inform decision-makers about the issues disproportionately affecting women, so that these may be addressed in crafting the state’s economic recovery.

The PCSW initiative has two parts. The first is a written survey, which is 30 questions long and takes five minutes to complete. The survey was developed in conjunction with Susan D. Toliver, Ph.D., CFLE, board member of the PCSW, and professor emeritus of Sociology and CoCoordinator of the Women’s Studies Program at Iona College. The survey has been distributed widely to collect data from a racially, geographically, and socioeconomically diverse pool that reflects all Connecticut women.

The second part of the initiative has amassed qualitative data, the COVID stories of Connecticut women. Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 3, the PCSW hosted six Zoom focus groups across all of Connecticut’s counties to hear these stories.

The preliminary data suggests several emergent themes. For example, 45 percent of respondents with dependent children cited children at home as an impediment to their ability to work. And 24 percent of full-time working respondents suffered a decrease in pay since March, with the highest category suffering a pay decrease of $250-500 a month. Of total respondents, 23 percent indicated their access to educational opportunity or progression had been hampered by COVID.

The survey will remain open throughout December and early January to deliver the most up-to-date data available.

Please join the hundreds of Connecticut women who have already taken the survey. Each and every voice of Connecticut’s women has significance in this research. Please take the survey and share your voice. Thank you for participating in this important work.