In 2020, the pandemic had a disproportionate negative effect on women’s employment — leading to the coining of the phrase “she-cession.” In December alone, the U.S. economy lost 140,000 net jobs, with 156,000 women leaving the workforce while men gained 16,000 jobs.
The study noted that women hold nearly two-thirds of all minimum-wage jobs in the country.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the deep gaps in our economic and social infrastructure that have resulted from decades of underinvestment and policy choices,” said Andrea Johnson and Jenalyn Sotto of the National Women’s Law Center, who were asked to react to the study. “To recover and rebuild from the pandemic and economic crisis, states must center the needs of women, especially women of color — at work, at school, at home, and in their communities.
While the economy is a strong indicator of women’s standard of living, it’s not the only factor. To find 2021’s best states for women, Wallet Hub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key indicators including median earnings, preventive health care and the female homicide rate.
Based on the criteria, Minnesota was declared the overall winner with a score of nearly 78 out of 100.
Click here to see how your state did and read the full article.
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