Axios, November 2021
As the pandemic-era circumstances that drove a million American mothers out of work start to dissipate, that huge population of workers is coming back in greater numbers.
Why it matters: Employment for working-age moms rose at a faster rate than any other group of prime-age workers (those between the ages of 25 and 54) in October, according to new Current Population Survey data analyzed by Indeed Hiring Lab.
By the numbers: The prime-age employment to population ratio for mothers with young kids (defined as those aged 13 and below) is now 2.9% below what it was pre-pandemic.
- That’s still a lower recovery than fathers (–1.0%), and women without young kids (–2.3%) — but working moms are closing the gap.
What’s happening: The Delta variant is receding, and school-age kids are finally able to get the vaccine, notes Alicia Modestino, an economist at Northeastern University.