Unemployment - Women in United States

United States

Unemployment has both direct and indirect impacts on health. A stable, safe and well-paying job makes it easier for people to live in healthier neighborhoods, access health insurance benefits, and afford quality child care, education and nutritious food — all critical factors to maintaining good health that are jeopardized by unemployment. Unemployment can also mean losing access to health insurance — more than half of health insurance coverage in the United States is employment-based.

There is a strong relationship between employment status and mental health. Unemployment may lead to lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression and strained family ties. The effects of job loss are not limited to the individual, as studies have shown a profound effect on impacted families and children. Unemployment is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality for those in their early and middle careers. 

High unemployment rates can put a strain on state economies due to decreased revenue from income taxes and increased demand for unemployment insurance and social welfare programs.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the prevalence of unemployment is higher among:

• Younger women ages 16-19 compared with women age 20 and older.
• Hispanic and Black women compared with Asian and white women.
• Women with less than a high school diploma. Unemployment rates decrease as educational attainment increases.

Different strategies exist to reduce the unemployment rate, especially for women. Women are disproportionately burdened with caretaking responsibilities for children and other family members, and the lack of affordable child care or supportive policies, such as paid family and medical leave, can make it difficult to maintain full-time or stable work. Decreasing the unemployment rate and increasing the number of working women requires serious investments in supportive care infrastructure, labor protections and equitable wages and benefits. 

The Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Initiative offers guidance on establishing equitable access to quality employment opportunities for the workforce, free of discrimination.

Healthy People 2030 tracks different measures of economic stability, and has an objective to increase employment among the working-age population ages 16-64.

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