The job market recovery for U.S. women faced a setback in September, much as it did about a year ago after many school districts switched to online learning. But the drop-off in the number of women working or looking for a job last month was much smaller than in 2020 as more schools reopened this year.
The data, included in the monthly U.S. employment report released by the Labor Department on Friday, shows that women continue to face a lumpier labor market recovery after being disproportionately affected by job losses during the coronavirus pandemic. It also raises a question over whether the reopening of schools, which likely contributed to this year’s improvement from September 2020, is enough on its own to narrow a workforce participation gap between the sexes that widened during the pandemic.
