Key Takeaways:
- Women’s employment recovered 11 months slower than men’s after the pandemic, with mothers’ workforce participation increasing but still lagging behind fathers, while caregiving responsibilities continue to create significant gender gaps.
- Women face substantial career advancement disparities, with fewer promotions, raises, and mentorship opportunities than men, contributing to lower workplace empowerment.
- A concerning gender gap exists in AI skills and usage, with only 29% of women reporting AI skills compared to 71% of men, creating a new dimension of workplace inequality.
As we emerge from the shadow of a global pandemic, a troubling pattern has come into focus: the uneven recovery of our workforce along gender lines. While headlines celebrate economic rebounds and job market recoveries, beneath these broad strokes lies a more complex reality for women navigating their return to professional life.
The pandemic didn’t just disrupt employment — it exposed and deepened long-standing structural inequities that have historically shaped women’s career trajectories. From the caregiving responsibilities that fall disproportionately on their shoulders to the subtle barriers blocking advancement opportunities, women face a distinct set of challenges.
Also concerning is the emerging frontier of artificial intelligence, where gender disparities threaten to create new dimensions of workplace inequality. Understanding these dynamics isn’t just about social responsibility — it’s about recognizing where the greatest opportunities lie for connecting talent with opportunity in our evolving employment landscape.
Pandemic recovery has been slower for women
Women’s employment took nearly three years to reach pre-pandemic levels, 11 months longer than men’s recovery.
Mothers’ labor force participation returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, coinciding with child care center job recovery. Child care center employment fell by over a third at the start of the pandemic, taking until July 2023 to recover. Mothers are continuing to return to the workforce, but slowly — nearly three-quarters (74%) of mothers were in the labor force in 2024, up from 72% in 2019. Comparatively, labor force participation was at 95% for fathers in 2024.
On the positive side, women gained jobs in higher-paying, male-dominated sectors, such as transportation and warehousing (+264,000) and construction (+194,000). They also lost jobs in lower-paying sectors, including retail (-227,000) and leisure and hospitality (-122,000).
Caregivers face challenges returning to work
Though on the decline, substantial gender gaps remain in both likelihood and hours of unpaid caregiving:
- The percentage of women who spent at least 30 minutes daily providing unpaid care was 36% in 2023, compared to 29% for me. This represents a gender care gap of 81%, an improvement from 78% in 2018.
- Women caregivers averaged 6.7 hours per day of unpaid care in 2023, while this average was 5.6 hours for men — a gender gap of 84%, up from 77% in 2018.
- Gender gaps in hours improved for Asian, Latina, and White women but worsened for Black women.
Providing care takes time away from paid employment, contributing to women’s lower lifetime earnings and the gender wage gap. In addition, caregiving women reentering the workforce often lack support from employers:
- Only 29% of women say their workplace provides flexible arrangements for work-life balance.
- Many companies don’t support workers after caregiving breaks — 37% lack re-entry programs for such employees.
- Less than half (42%) of companies offer extended maternity leave, 43% offer shared parental leave, and just 15% provide childcare benefits.
- Only 57% of women are optimistic about future improvements in work-life balance, compared to 62% of men.
Women lack advancement, recognition opportunities
Compared to men, women are also finding it more difficult to progress their careers:
- More men (34%) received promotions in 2024 than women (22%), and 34% of men expect future promotions, compared to 26% of women.
- Men are also more likely to receive raises — 46% of men received raises in 2024 compared to 32% of women. About two-thirds (66%) of men and 58% of women anticipate raises this year.
- Men are more likely to have formal mentors at work (15% compared to 7% of women).
All this can be discouraging for women in the workplace — only 36% of women feel empowered to do their best work. Meanwhile, men consistently report higher perceptions of being valued by managers (60% vs. 56%) and coworkers (58% vs. 51%) than women.
Gender disparities deepen in AI use and skills
Men are far more likely than women to possess AI skills and use AI at work:
- More than seven in 10 (71%) men report having AI skills, compared to just 29% of women — a 42 percentage point gap.
- Nearly half (47%) of men have used AI to problem-solve at work, but only 37% of women said the same.
- Employers are more likely to provide AI access to men (41%) than women (35%).
Women are also extremely underrepresented when it comes to specialist AI skills — there are 82% men vs. 18% women in software development, 81% men vs. 19% women in AI data processing, and 76% men vs. 24% women in deep learning.
While AI can help address talent scarcity and boost productivity, there’s a need to prioritize equitable access and prevent these existing gender gaps from widening.
Closing the gap
Organizations that recognize these gender disparities can position themselves as leaders in promoting equity while accessing untapped talent pools.
Staffing agencies can advocate for targeted strategies to support women’s return to the workforce, including flexible work arrangements, comprehensive parental leave policies, and childcare support. Additionally, creating structured re-entry programs for caregivers and providing mentorship opportunities could significantly improve women’s career advancement prospects.
The substantial gender gap in AI skills highlights an urgent need for investment in upskilling programs specifically designed for women. By facilitating access to AI training and ensuring equitable opportunities in high-growth sectors, recruiters can help bridge this technological divide while meeting employers’ increasing demand for these skills.
Ultimately, staffing agencies that address these gender-specific challenges will not only contribute to workplace equity but also gain a competitive advantage by connecting employers with the full spectrum of available talent.
