Working women are spending more time than men overseeing homeschooling and child care during the coronavirus pandemic, and they have expressed strong concerns about this negatively impacting their careers, according to new research from pay equity software and analytics firm Syndio. These concerns are especially pronounced with African American and Hispanic women.
The study showed more men are working longer hours, while more women are putting in longer hours caring for their homes and children. In fact, nearly half of American women who work full-time and have children at home feel “less or much less” productive, and 14 percent of women consider quitting their jobs to better manage family responsibilities during the pandemic.
Long-term impact
In addition, more than one-third of the women who responded reported their performance and/or productivity during this time will negatively affect their future career advancement.
Hispanic and African American women are most likely to fear this, with 35 percent of Hispanic women saying it will affect their careers “a great deal,” and 30 percent of African American women saying the same. Of white women, 14 percent believe their careers will be affected a great deal, and 15 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander women said the same.
“These are challenging times for everyone, but our survey is the first to uncover how the pandemic could produce long-lasting impacts on women’s careers and advancement,” said Syndio CEO Maria Colacurcio, in a news release. “Women already experience pay disparities due to gender, and the burden of ‘working from home with kids’ during the COVID-19 era will exacerbate the problem. On top of that, it’s concerning to see more women than men contemplating leaving the workforce, even for a short time. Women of color—and indeed, all people of color—feel the pressure of juggling it all during this time, with many more saying this will affect future career advancement.”
The Syndio survey was conducted between March 30 and 31, 2020 with 1,504 respondents participating.
