In 2020, millions of women left the workforce as COVID-19 clamped down on the country like a vise. While many families initially finagled schedules to accommodate momentous overnight changes, significantly more women than men left the workplace. As daycare facilities closed and the homeschool arrangements for school-aged children extended into the 2020-21 school year, many women felt pressured to quit their jobs.
The exiting continued as stress and uncertainty mounted, exacerbated by quarantine and isolation periods resulting in on-again, off-again schedules for schools and daycare facilities. Juggling work responsibilities, dealing with the worry of protecting vulnerable family members, and taking on additional duties relating to the children’s education made women across the country question whether staying on the job was worth it. Unfortunately, for many, the answer was no.
And now it appears that the COVID-19 pandemic was just the beginning of a string of happenings that led to women leaving the job market.
• In 2021, more women left the job market as pandemic-altered perspectives led to the “The Great Resignation.” As our collective eyes opened to re-prioritized goals and the reality of an employee’s worth versus the compensation package offered, many women opted to make a change. Some sought a better position with a new company; others chose to step away from employment to invest in themselves via education. Commitment to care for their mental/physical/emotional health was another motivating factor, while another segment opted to take earlier-than-expected retirement.
• As the reasons behind “The Great Resignation” became more apparent, the movement came to be dubbed by some as “The Great Reinvention,” and aptly so. It wasn’t that folks—men and women alike—didn’t want to work, but rather that they wanted more and different things from their occupations. They felt emboldened to reach for what in pre-pandemic times felt like pie-in-the-sky notions or unattainable dreams. The chaotic upheaval of the pandemic encouraged a surge of folks to adopt a “Why not?” mindset.
• The newest phenomenon to impact the job market has been labeled “The Great Breakup.” Again, fueled by the realigning and meshing of priorities, goals, and wants, women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rate in years – significantly more than men in leadership. In pursuit of greener pastures via more opportunities, greater flexibility, and companies committed to inclusion, women are exiting their current employment arrangements.
While both men and women suffered a similar drop in workforce participation during the pandemic, in the spring of 2022, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that men had returned to work at a higher rate than women. Compared to pre-pandemic statistics, an estimated one million women are missing from the labor force.
ASJ Partners has consistently recognized the crucial role that women play in the job market, and we’re striving to understand how the past three years have impacted their career goals and pursuit of a positive work-life balance. So give to see how ASJ Partners can be your greatest ally in today’s challenging job market.
