March is Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month which is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987.

Between 2015 and 2020, women made slow but steady representation progress in the workforce. When the pandemic started in 2020 that progress not only came to a halt but careened backwards.

Women have been specifically negatively impacted by this crisis. The pandemic has been particularly difficult on women of color and women with disabilities. Women of color are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed during the COVID-19 crisis, stalling their careers and jeopardizing their financial security.

For women with disabilities, doing their jobs amid the pandemic is particularly difficult. They are less likely to report getting the flexibility they need at work during the pandemic, and they are more likely to feel excluded, in the dark, and uninformed.

The pandemic has also intensified challenges that women already faced in the workplace regarding childcare. According to a recent survey by the Michigan Women’s Commission, entitled MWC’s Survey of Child Care Use During the Pandemic, the majority of parents prefer to care for their children themselves in their home or use family and friends for child care during the pandemic. When asked about post-pandemic, nearly half of the respondents reported a desire to send their kids outside the home to licensed childcare centers.

This survey indicates there will be a dramatic and immediate surge in demand for licensed childcare options at a time when Michigan’s childcare infrastructure is already in need of support for staffing, slot availability and overall sustainability.

The result of these dynamics has caused one in four women to contemplate downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce altogether. Recent estimates from the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives show that over 125,000 Michigan women have left the workforce entirely since February 2020 and the unemployment rate for women in Michigan is double what it was pre-pandemic.

COVID-19 has illuminated the challenges working mothers faced before there was a global pandemic. Mothers of color in Michigan, in particular, have long been sounding an alarm about the unsustainable balance required to work frontline and essential jobs without the availability of flexible, safe and affordable childcare options.

As our state starts to recover from the pandemic, Michigan Works! is here to assist job seekers in making career changes, connecting them to training opportunities and assisting them in overcoming barriers such as childcare. Michigan Works! is also here to assist employers in finding the talent they need to fill their talent gaps.

Luann Dunsford, CEO, Michigan Works! Association