Three years ago, a global pandemic triggered a so-called “she-cession,” as millions of women lost their jobs or left the workforce to care for loved ones. Now, they’re leading the recovery.
Companies have more women on their payrolls than ever before, in part because of a steady rise in the share of women ages 25 to 54 who are employed or searching for work. The participation rate for that group climbed to a record high of 77.5% in April, surpassing a peak reached in 2000, according to government data going back to the 1940s.
“We have gotten back to the best that women had ever done historically,” said Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist.
