The U.S. economy added 428,000 jobs in the past month, slightly exceeding the 400,000 anticipated by economists amid ongoing labor market challenges and rising inflation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notably, April marked the third consecutive month of substantial job gains for women, who accounted for approximately 65% of the new positions, as reported by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Women secured employment across key sectors, including leisure and hospitality, retail trade, government, and education and health services.
However, the economic recovery for women remains uneven. In April, 181,000 women exited the labor force, compared to 131,000 men. The labor force participation rate for women is still nearly one million below pre-pandemic levels from February 2020. The NWLC’s analysis indicates that women have borne 70% of the total job losses over the past two years.
Jasmine Tucker, NWLC’s Director of Research, highlighted the mixed implications of April’s job report. While job growth for women across various industries is promising, Tucker emphasized that unemployment figures might be artificially low due to the significant number of women leaving the workforce. Some women-dominated sectors, such as childcare, continue to struggle, with minimal job growth.
Certain demographic groups saw improvements in unemployment rates, including Latinas, Asian women, and Black women, while the unemployment rate for white women remained steady. The overall unemployment rate held at 3.6%, marginally above expectations.
Tucker attributes the ongoing workforce departures to a “perfect storm” of rising COVID-19 cases, return-to-office mandates, burnout, and widespread resignations. A Deloitte report underscores the severity of burnout among working women, with over half reporting increased stress and nearly half experiencing burnout.
To address these challenges, Tucker urges companies to proactively support female employees by offering childcare assistance, flexible schedules, and enhanced benefits, rather than waiting for legislative mandates or worsening conditions.
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