Photo: Moment RF
A report released Wednesday by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative shows that Latinas were more likely than other groups to drop out of the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic!
The report covers the time frame from March 2020 to March 2021. During that year, 2.7% of Latina workers dropped out of the workforce, in comparison to 1.7% of white women during the same period.
According to the report, "Latinas Exiting the Workforce: How the Pandemic Revealed Historic Disadvantages and Heightened Economic Hardship", there are three main reasons behind Latinas exiting from the work force:
One of those reasons was opportunity -- according to the report, Latinas are disproportionately employed in leisure, hospitality and other industries that were greatly affected by the pandemic shut downs.
Second: Latinas are disincentivized from participating in the labor force due to a lack of access to education and training opportunities for higher-wage positions.
Third: Latinas are disproportionately responsible for family care obligations relative to Latino men and are more likely to stay at home than mothers of other racial backgrounds.
The report also showed that Latinas experienced one of the highest unemployment rates at the start of the pandemic in April 2020 -- 20.2%. The report also adds that in December 2020, the unemployment rate for Latinas was 9.1% compared to 5.7% for white women.
To read more on the the findings of the report, visit UCLA's Latino Policy & Politics Iniative website.
Join the conversation below! Tell us your thoughts on the findings of this repot!
PHOTO: Getty Images