from the National Women's Law Center found that the unemployment rate for mothers doubled from 2019 to 2020, rising from 3.5% to 7.5%. The rate was higher from Asian, Black, and Latina mothers. And 575,000 mothers completely left the labor force — meaning that they aren't counted in unemployment rates.
Broadly, Powell said, 22% of parents had either paused working or worked less due to childcare needs. That number was far higher for Black and Hispanic mothers, coming in at 36% and 30%, respectively. And the NWLC report found that, even prior to the pandemic, mothers saw a wage gap compared to white fathers. Black mothers lose $33,600 every year, and Latina mothers lose $38,000, showing how the pandemic exacerbated preexisting disparities.
All of the data shows a continued trend of unequal recovery, which economists — and President Joe Biden — call a. That's when high-earning workers see their jobs and incomes rebound and grow, while low-earning workers experience the opposite. "We will only reach our full potential when everyone can contribute to, and share in, the benefits of prosperity," Powell said. coming in at pandemic-era lows. However, millions of Americans still remain unemployed. Subscribe to push notificationsStart your day with the biggest stories in politics and the economy. Sign up for 10 Things in Politics.