The troubling national exodus of women from the workforce in 2020 and 2021 has ended, at least in Rhode Island. That is certainly good news for both families and employers.
But as this week’s cover story reports, women still face disproportionate challenges in the workplace due to limited child care.
The Ocean State’s unemployment rate is at historical lows thanks in large part to a return to the workforce by women that peaked last year.
So-called “pink-sector” jobs in education, health care and other fields hit hard by the pandemic have seen a resurgence of women in the workplace.
Some insurers, for example, report women comprising more than 70% of their workforce.
But women still face obstacles finding higher-paying jobs in fields traditionally dominated by men, including science, technology and engineering.
And while the number of men in the workforce has continued to rise this year, women have given back some of last year’s employment gains.
Advocates blame a decline in child care workers fueled by low pay as a major reason.
The state has boosted funding for child care but the benefits, including $37 million for retention bonuses for early-education workers, haven’t shown up yet in the workforce.
Licensed family child care slots are still 14% below January 2020 levels, due to provider closings and a lingering worker shortage.
State leaders must continue to find creative ways to rebuild the child care infrastructure, to ensure the “she-cession” doesn’t have a second act.