The Labor Department’s survey of employers showed that as of July, men had recovered their jobs to their February 2020 levels — even adding 132,000. However, the same survey shows women, who lost 1.8 million more jobs than men during the pandemic, are still 100,000 jobs away from pre-COVID levels.
The Labor Department’s household survey, which determines unemployment rates, charted a larger discrepancy: Although men showed up 24,000 jobs behind pre-pandemic levels, women lagged at 552,000 below.
Moody’s Analytics economists attribute this to industry differences, according to USA Today. Women dominate many of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic; they account for 77.1 percent of the staff in education and healthcare services, for example. Meanwhile, industries dominated by men, such as construction and warehousing, swelled as people — working remotely and stuck inside — invested in their homes.
Despite a lower recovery rate, women are 1 percent below their pre-pandemic workforce participation while men are 1.7 percent behind, the report said.
