Economics
A Decade’s Worth of Progress for Working Women Evaporated Overnight
Men have not been spared, but preliminary research suggests women have been impacted disproportionately.
Ashley Reckdenwald with her daughters Drew, Sydney, and Stella.
Photographer: Hannah Yoon for Bloomberg BusinessweekThis article is for subscribers only.
Ashley Reckdenwald loves her job. But the reality of the pandemic is that someone has to stay home with the kids.
Reckdenwald, a physician assistant in Princeton Junction, N.J. is among the 23.5 million working moms with kids under 18 years old that make up almost a third of the female labor force in the U.S. After the pandemic shuttered schools and child-care facilities in March, she faced the painful decision of prioritizing her children over her career.