The hospitality industry, one of the largest employers of women in the country, lost half of its jobs in April 2020 as the pandemic set in, contributing to a women's recession.
By September 2023, The 19th's Business & Economy report declared the women’s recession officially over, with women recovering the job loss they experienced in early 2020.
According to the National Women's Law Center's report, "Resilient but not Recovered," the pandemic caused significant job disruptions.
In 2020, more than half of the 22 million jobs without benefits were held by women.
Black women were particularly impacted, facing a higher likelihood than white men of having their hours reduced.
By May 2020, the unemployment rate for Black women reached 16.6% and remained in double digits afterwards.
Only 30% of Black women are salaried, compared to 45% of white men. Additionally, nearly 59% of Black women are paid hourly wages, including those who rely on tips for part or all of their income, while only about a third (33%) of white men fall into this category.
By November 2021, The 19th, a non-profit focused on gender, politics, and policy, reported that after a significant drop in employment, women were beginning to rejoin the workforce.
In September, approximately 309,000 women left the workforce, primarily due to weak growth in the education and hospitality sectors, which typically employ many women.
However, in October, 251,000 women rejoined the labor force, spurred by job recovery in hospitality—a key indicator of women's economic participation.
Meanwhile, education and public-sector jobs continued to struggle, with a loss of 65,000 positions in local and state public education.
By July 2022, the unemployment rate for Black women remained high at 5.3%, even as the overall unemployment rate for women declined to 3.1%, the same level as in February 2020.
Black women are heavily represented in healthcare, education, and the federal government sectors.
A July 2025 report from Business & Economy, published by The 19th, has noted a spike in unemployment for Black women.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that their unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March 2025 to 6.1% in April, 6.2% in May, and 5.8% in June.
In contrast, the unemployment rates for white women and Asian women remained stable at around 3% during the same period, while the rate for Latinas hovered near 5%.
Economists consulted by The 19th suggested that part of the reason for the higher rates among Black women could be attributed to job losses in government positions.
The National Women's Law Center's fact sheet "Attacks on the Federal Workforce Target Women and People of Color," published in May 2025, indicated that women and people of color make up a majority of the workforce in many agencies from which individuals were laid off, often not due to performance or agency needs.
Between February and March 2025, approximately 266,000 Black women lost their jobs, according to the "Black women’s unemployment is rising. Economists say it’s a warning sign" report published by The 19th.