Women Possibly to Lose Jobs at a Higher Pace than Other Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Photo: CoWomen on Unsplash)

When the news came out that unemployment's percentage in the country, it seemed served as a guarantee that the figures were not reflecting the minorities of the nation.

More so, this would have been a story repeating itself often in the daily headlines, considering the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the country. 

Based on the report of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), roughly 701,000 employments were lost last month, and that excluded the almost 10 million individuals who applied for unemployment benefits during the past couple of weeks. 

According to Heldrich Center for Workforce Development chief economist William Rodgers, "While the unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent from 3.5 percent," the official report indicated, the past two weeks of the filing of an application for unemployment benefits suggest that the actual rate is possibly around 18.3 percent for adults.

Among the adults profiled, the African-Americans and Hispanics have been the most affected at 18.7 percent (for the Hispanics) and 20.7 percent (for the African-Americans). 

Over 60,000 Jobs Lost

Also, based on the report from BLS, roughly 30 percent of hotel workers in 2019 were Hispanic, and another 19 percent belonged to blacks.

Meanwhile, bars, restaurants, as well as the other food services said to be hard hit, comprised 27 percent of workers in 2019 were Hispanic, while 13 percent were blacks.

The report also indicated that at department stores, the majority of which have temporarily closed due to the current pandemic, 19 percent of the employees belonged to the blacks, and the other 19 percent were Hispanics.

The universal labor department classification that comprises temporary workers, landscaping, and custodial help services lost over 60,000 jobs. Roughly half of the workforce comes from minorities. However, for Rodgers, what the said numbers hide is even more dreadful.

He explained, "The employment rate for women at present is below the general unemployment rate. This is because, women are said to be well-represented in the primary and secondary, and nursing fields, which have been spared employment cuts, so far.

Job Cuts

Job cuts in the sectors mentioned are possible in the next couple of months, Rodgers said. Specifically, women can potentially hold jobs in the government, which can be cut as cities and states respond to budget deficits.

In the United States, roughly 76 percent of the workforce in healthcare comprises females, and these include nurse practitioners, nurses, health aides, and even most of the doctors below 45 years of age, are females. 

From owners of small businesses to single mothers-these comprise the demographic group, likely to suffer the effect of COVID-19 in the long run.

Even though states such as New York, for one, have instigated restraint measures like a "$15 minimum wage, guaranteed paid leaves and strong rulings on domestic violence, among others." 

In a column written for The Hill, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul and Loren Leader said, that this catastrophe cannot be afforded to allow such a national moment to pass without grasping the opportunity to correct some of the wrongs that have affected women since before COVID-19.

They added, it is the responsibility of the lawmakers to consider the struggles of women, although women must speak out as well.

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