National Survey Finds Women’s Careers Starting to Lose Ground to Men’s During Coronavirus Pandemic
African American women 2x more likely to believe future career prospects will be negatively affected by the pandemic than white women
Seattle, WA — April 28, 2020 — A nationwide survey of working women found they are spending more time than men overseeing homeschooling and child care during the coronavirus pandemic, and they expressed strong concerns about this negatively impacting their careers. These concerns are especially pronounced with African American and Hispanic women.
The study of full-time workers conducted by Syndio, a pay equity software and analytics company, 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.
Hours spent performing professional work duties (full-time workers)
| Less than 4 hours | 5-8 hours | More than 9 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 21% | 48% | 25% |
| Women | 27% | 50% | 17% |
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.
Will performance/productivity during this time negatively affect future career advancement: Women only
| “A great deal” or “a lot” | “A moderate amount” | “A little” or “not at all” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 40% | 15% | 45% |
| Black or African American | 30% | 10% | 55% |
| Hispanic | 41% | 21% | 38% |
| White/Caucasian | 20% | 10% | 71% |
“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 . “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.
About Syndio
Syndio is committed to eradicating pay disparities in the workplace. We license data science-powered software to help companies analyze and resolve pay gaps due to gender or race, and stay in compliance over time. Pay equity matters and not just because it reduces legal risk, it is a core component of employee engagement and retention. Syndio customers come from a variety of industries including, Nordstrom, Hyatt, Slack, Match Group, Adobe and more.
Media Relations Contact:
Katie Curnutte
617.640.9765
katie@kingstonmarketing.group
SELECT DATA TABLES:
Hours spent performing professional work duties: Women only
| Less than 4 hours | 5-8 hours | More than 9 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 35% | 60% | 10% |
| Black or African American | 35% | 50% | 15% |
| Hispanic | 32% | 35% | 27% |
| White/Caucasian | 36% | 50% | 12% |
Hours spent managing, researching or planning for children’s schooling needs
| 1-2 hours | 3-4 hours | 5-8 hours | More than 9 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 49% | 22% | 9% | 5% |
| Women | 47% | 28% | 12% | 4% |
Hours spent managing, researching or planning for children’s schooling needs: Women only
| 1-2 hours | 3-4 hours | 5-8 hours | More than 9 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 30% | 35% | 20% | 5% |
| Black or African American | 15% | 40% | 35% | 5% |
| Hispanic | 38% | 32% | 24% | 3% |
| White/Caucasian | 53% | 26% | 7% | 3% |
Will performance/productivity during this time negatively affect future career advancement
| “A great deal” or “a lot” | “A moderate amount” | “A little” or “not at all” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 25% | 16% | 59% |
| Women | 24% | 12% | 65% |
Will performance/productivity during this time negatively affect future career advancement: Men only
| “A great deal” or “a lot” | “A moderate amount” | “A little” or “not at all” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 42% | 15% | 42% |
| Black or African American | 50% | 11% | 39% |
| Hispanic | 22% | 22% | 57% |
| White/Caucasian | 17% | 16% | 67% |
Are you, your partner/spouse, or your co-parent considering quitting your job in order to better manage family responsibilities during this pandemic? Women only
| Yes - I am considering quitting | Yes - my spouse/partner or co-parent is considering quitting | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 15% | 15% | 70% |
| Black or African American | 15% | 10% | 70% |
| Hispanic | 26% | 21% | 53% |
| White/Caucasian | 12% | 3% | 80% |