Covid-19 Explodes the Myth That Women ‘Opt’ Out

In August and September, more than a million people dropped out of the workforce. Eighty percent of them were women. Women have been losing jobs at a rate far higher than that of men throughout this recession, figures that can’t be entirely explained by industry effects. And it might get worse. One in 4 employed women (1 in 3 mothers) are considering quitting or dialing back at work, according to McKinsey — the first time in six years of research that they’ve found any difference in men’s and women’s interest in quitting.

Working parents are especially feeling the crunch. A FlexJobs survey of working parents found that 25% of fathers and mothers had reduced their hours to cope with child-care demands. But women were much more likely than men (17% to 10%) to quit. While the pandemic has forced all parents to take on more housework and child care, studies show mothers taking on the vast majority of it.