TRENTON - When the pandemic rocked the economy, women carried a disproportionate share of the burden, many in industries where jobs disappeared after businesses closed, some have now been completely kicked out of the workforce, others juggled their work with distance learning for Children.
At a symposium of the state finance ministry on Friday, in which the effects were discussed and how another "surrender" can be avoided, better childcare was suggested as a common means.
Following the Washington debate, Emily Martin, vice president of education and workplace justice at the National Women's Law Center, said childcare is an essential infrastructure for families to get to work.
"We had a rigged and barely functioning system before the pandemic blew it up," said Martin.
Better support for the childcare industry would help both families in need of this service and make it easier for both parents and women entrepreneurs and workers in the female-dominated industry.
The state spends some of the CARES money on childcare and provides financial assistance to families with incomes up to $ 100,000. Elyse Shaw, research director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research, said a national childcare system was needed.
"No family should have to spend more than 7% of their family income on childcare," Shaw said. "Right now it's an outrageous price and so unaffordable for most families. "
MEP Eliana Pintor Marin, D-Essex, said a longer day of school could help not necessarily sitting at a desk studying, but doing other activities and helping families meet after-school childcare costs .
"You may find yourself getting this longer portion after the average day at school, but you could do things that we had extracurricular programs on, but things have gotten a little less over the years," said Painter Marin.
Advisors to Governor Phil Murphy discussed how to approach an extended school day, said Murphy's chief political adviser, Zakiya Smith Ellis. He noted that schools are currently in the rare position of having large amounts of federal funding.
"Because we know that many students, many children, have defaulted during this period, there is a real need for it," said Smith Ellis. "And that also helps with childcare."
Painter Marin said another option could be a longer school year, as an absence of around 11 weeks in the summer creates a void that some families find hard to pay for.
"And I know some of the kids are going to hate me for saying that, don't they?" It is also a waste of the opportunities we have where children could still participate, "said painter Marin.
Many of the industries that have suffered the most from the pandemic-induced recession employ women disproportionately: education, hospitality such as hotels and casinos, services such as nonprofits and hair salons, Lesley said. Hirsch, Assistant Commissioner for Investigation and Information for the State Department of Labor. and human resource development.
"Although women make up 47% of the workforce, the proportion of first-time applications (unemployment insurance) was 55% among women. So that's a difference of 8 percentage points, "said Hirsch.
Hirsch said women had a higher unemployment rate than men at the start of the pandemic, but that rate had reversed at least at the national level by the end of 2020. She said the data from New Jersey is more limited, but suggests it could be even higher for women here.
Michael Symons is the bureau chief of the New Jersey 101.5 House of Representatives. Contact him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com .
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