The COVID-19 gender gap: What happens if women don’t return to work?

Image: Drazen Zigic, Getty Images / iStockphoto. Article by Hope Reese. TechRepublic – March 15, 2021. Women and Work, part 4 of a 4-part series.

Here are some implications of the pandemic-driven work imbalance and what long-term consequences could look like, according to experts and historians.

The widespread layoffs and resignations caused by COVID-19 have taken a more severe toll on women: In the last year, almost 3 million women have dropped out of the workforce. This is a major shift, reversing the trend of women’s increasing presence in the workforce. In early 2020, women were actually working in greater numbers than men.

To make matters worse, the impact has been more pronounced for underprivileged women—those working lower-wage jobs, and minorities—as well as for working mothers, who have been saddled with additional tasks such as healthcare for elderly relatives, childcare and education. […]

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