When given the task of writing about how jobs and the economy relate to women's issues, I first thought it might be fairly telling to look at the unemployment numbers for men versus women. And yes, without considering any outside factors, things look great! The unemployment rate is over 2% lower for women than for men age 20 and older. Women tend to work in fields like health care and education, which are less changeable even during hard economic times, whereas those that men are employed in, such as manufacturing and construction, are hit much harder.
But let's consider some other factors. Women are more likely to have more than one job; they are more likely to work part-time jobs that don't provide health insurance; they often have to come home to work the "second shift" to take care of their homes and families; and, arguably most importantly, they are still earning less than their male counterparts. So even if women are lucky enough to have jobs during this recession, getting by on lower salaries is going to be a challenge.
In this economy, it is becoming more and more difficult for families to survive with only one parent working. If the parent happens to be female, making 80 cents to the dollar that a man would be in the same job, the family is going to be hit even harder. I'm not advocating that women go back home so their husbands can go to work (clearly), but with the creation of new jobs, especially in the parts of Virginia that need it most, we can do something about this problem. And if that wage gap continues to shrink, and if we can extend healthcare benefits to people working part-time jobs and their families, then I think we can get Virginia back on the right track.
