Low-wage women hit hardest by COVID-19: report

A new report says low-income women are facing the steepest climb out of the economic hole opened by COVID-19 that will need to be addressed by any federal efforts to aid in a recovery.

Employment among women remains about 5.3 per cent below where it sat in February 2020 just before the first wave of COVID-19, compared to about 3.7 per cent for men.

On #IWD2021 we’re raising awareness against bias and inequality.

DYK, in the lockdown of 2020, mothers of children under 7 had reduced paid hours of work by 26% compared to 16% among fathers. How will you #ChooseToChallenge? https://t.co/gYaWFKFuLB

— Labour Market Information Council (@LMIC_CIMT) March 8, 2021

Most of the shortfall is attributable to losses in sectors like food services and accommodations, where workers deal directly with the public and have been hit hard by lockdowns and restrictions.

The report today by the Labour Market Information Council notes, though, that employment for women in low-earning occupations is 14 per cent below pre-crisis levels, while their counterparts in high-earning jobs have fully recovered.

The shortfall for low-earning men is 12 per cent.

Today on #IWD2021, I am moderating a session on gendered impacts and outcomes of the pandemic and what we can to do further support Canadian women and girls. Watch below! https://t.co/e2XeEgoCO6

— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) March 8, 2021

The figures will be among many that a newly formed expert panel will deal with as it advises Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on the measures she'll need to take in her upcoming budget to pave the road to an economic recovery.