New Research: More Mothers Are Working, But Lack of Care Infrastructure Continues to be a Problem
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers’ employment plummeted as certain industries shed jobs, and schools and child care facilities shut their doors. Four years later, our research finds that moms’ employment is now 1.9% higher than it was before the pandemic. Read our Mother’s Day blog to learn more. Then, check out a second blog about “Eco-mom-ics," which analyzes mothers’ contributions to the economy through paid and unpaid work.
How the Biden-Harris Administration is Advancing Gender Equity and Equality at Home and Abroad
From achieving the highest women's labor force participation to making historic investments in the care economy and much more, the Biden-Harris Administration is advancing rights and opportunity for women and girls. Learn how.
WANTO Grant Applications Due Soon
Applications to our Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program are due on June 10. WANTO grants fund community-based organizations working to expand pathways for women to enter and lead in all industries. Apply here.
Eliminating Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the World of Work
This month the White House marked one year since the release of the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence with an event attended by Director Wendy Chun-Hoon (above right) and WB staff. See the readout and learn about the Administration’s progress on the Plan here.
The Women’s Bureau played a role in shaping the National Plan and is now working to implement it by awarding grants focused on addressing and preventing gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work, engaging with stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad, and producing educational materials. Get more details about our implementation work in our new blog.
The Department of Labor is eager to continue our collective efforts to uplift the principles and strategies laid out in the National Plan. On June 18th, the Women’s Bureau will host a summit at our headquarters in Washington, DC that will convene workers, unions, employers, government representatives, worker advocates and other stakeholders who are working to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work at the national, state and local levels. Register to attend in-person or virtually.
Ensuring Equity in Infrastructure
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su (above right) and WB Director Chun-Hoon traveled to Chicago for the announcement of an Investing In America infrastructure pilot project in which the Illinois Department of Transportation and 2022 WANTO grantee Chicago Women in Trades will work together to achieve stronger workforce equity outcomes – including more women hired and retained in good, union construction jobs. The Acting Secretary even got a chance to try welding!
Acting Secretary Su also visited 2023 WANTO grantee Hope Renovations in Carrboro, North Carolina and met with women who are training for well-paying careers in nontraditional fields like construction.
Strengthening the Care Economy
On June 26, WB will host the Paid Leave: Equity in Implementation conference, which will welcome researchers, state paid leave administrators, representatives from the federal government and others to Washington, DC to delve into the latest research findings, policy innovations and promising practices in implementing equitable paid leave policies. Register here to attend in person. Register here to watch virtually.
In Case You Missed It
Menstruation at work:
- Menstrual Hygiene Day, May 28, we published a blog about steps employers can take to make workplaces friendlier to menstruators. Employers can make small adjustments to worker protections, flexibilities and accommodations to ensure that workplaces are more inclusive of menstruating employees, reduce the stigma surrounding menstruation and improve menstruators’ quality of life at work.
For parents of school-age kids:
More #MomMath:
Women's Bureau in the News
- Work in Progress podcast: ‘Occupational segregation’ puts many women in the workforce on uneven economic footing
- Axios: Mother's Day surprise: More women with children are working than ever before
- Axios: Why women in the U.S. are less satisfied with their jobs than men
- Forbes: Why Is There Still A Gender Wage Gap?
- Crain’s Cleveland: ‘Untenable’ childcare costs take centerstage at Collaborate Cleveland event
- City Limits: Opinion: NYC Can Give the Perfect Gift This Mother’s Day – Investing in Universal Child Care
We Want to Hear from You!
“Occupational segregation” is the gendered sorting of men and women into different types of jobs. It leads to women being overrepresented in certain jobs, which are valued and compensated less than male-dominated jobs.
We’ve heard from many working women about their experiences with gendered job expectations, the challenges they face at work, the support systems that help them thrive and the policy changes that would help them succeed. We'd like to hear from you.
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