Draft:Shecession

In 2020, the New York Times published the term Shecession to define the significant job losses and direct economic impact that the COVID pandemic had on women, especially women of color. The article credited the origin of the term to the then-President and Chief Executive of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, C. Nicole Mason.

Shecession is defined as sharp job and income losses in sectors dominated by women: service, leisure and hospitality, education, and healthcare. It is an economic downturn that disproportionately impacts women and causes them to lose more jobs than men over a specific period of time. The term has been widely used by politicians and leading economists to describe the economic downturn and to advance targeted public policy programs.

In 2008, the last major economic downturn, the Great Recession was defined by job loss in production and manufacturing, which affected mostly men. At the height of the recession, over two years, unemployment reached 8 percent.

Economic and Gender Repercussions

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded that women represented 55 percent of the 20.5 million jobs lost in April 2020. This meant female unemployment rose to 15 percent, an increase from just 3.1 percent in February 2020. The adult male unemployment rate in April 2020 was 13 percent.

This became the first time since 1948 that female unemployment sat at a double-figure percentage.

The Shecession and the Childcare Crisis

In addition to the income and economic losses, schools and daycare closures across the country delivered another blow to working women and their families during the shecession. As some women experienced high unemployment, those who were able to maintain employment were also charged with providing care for children who were learning virtually. Between August and September 2020, when schools were slated to re-open, more than 865,000 women fell out of the workforce due in large part to their caretaking responsibilities.