Disproportionate is a term commonly associated with women’s treatment in the workplace compared to male counterparts. COVID-19 and its impact on employment is no exception to this phenomenon.
Women constitute 49% of the overall workforce but accounted for 55% of job losses in April. Thus, the term disproportionate appears accurate.
Industry sectors including leisure, hospitality, education, health care and retail were hit the hardest as a result of the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic. Within these industries, women were affected most.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), “Women lost more than 4.1 million leisure and hospitality jobs, accounting for 54% of job loss in this sector, though they make up only 52% of the industry workforce.”
In the state of Florida, the industries facing the highest rates of unemployment are leisure and hospitality. This comes as no surprise as Florida’s economy is dependent on tourism, which took a large hit amid the pandemic. Unemployment in the leisure and hospitality industries disproportionately impacts women.
Additionally, teachers and nurses lost over 2.5 million jobs, in which women accounted for 83% of the loss. 1.3 million jobs in retail trade were lost by women as well, constituting 61% of the job loss in that sector.
Typically, women participate in lower-paying jobs. These jobs are the first to go during an economic downturn. In addition, the pandemic has shifted the location of children’s learning from schools to the home, removing the supervision that families relied upon. With a lack of childcare, women could be impacted in their ability to pick up extra shifts.
Amid this economic crisis, women from ages 20 to 24 reached an unemployment rate of 28%, whereas their male counterparts faced a rate of 24%. For a detailed image of women’s unemployment demographics click here.
As younger women were more negatively impacted by the pandemic’s effects on the economy, what does this mean for women entering the workforce who are in this age range? Students may have already faced job loss during the pandemic. Furthermore, many internships were canceled or lost, negatively impacting students and their resumes. For students graduating in the near future, they face the dilemma of entering a workforce in which millions are filing for unemployment.
The stress of landing a job upon graduation already presents itself as a nerve-wracking endeavor. However, facing economic issues will increase that stress for students everywhere. A resource here at UF, the Career Connections Center, may be able to ease that stress.
The Career Connections Center hosts career fairs throughout the year. The most recent fair occurred between Sept. 21-24, hosted virtually through an app called Career Fair Plus. The “Career in Communications Fair” will be held Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and any students interested can attend by downloading the app in the app store and signing up with a UF email.
Utilize the Career Connections Center as a resource, especially now, when standing out on a resume and acing an interview is vital in securing a job in an unstable market. Here in Gainesville, the unemployment rate for August held at 4.9%, lower than the state’s rate at 7.4%. Statistics for the month of September are projected to be released this month. Click here for updates.
Gainesville remains behind the state in employment losses in all major industries except information, government and financial activities. As the national and state economies recover, Gainesville is predicted to decrease its unemployment rate. COVID-19 continues to dominate daily life. From learning virtually to entering the job market in an economic crisis, students must adapt and utilize their resources to begin their careers post-graduation.