As we prepare to celebrate another Labor Day, the big question is where the workers have gone. Two years after the pandemic knocked millions of workers, especially women, out of the labor force, the U.S. economy has largely regained a sense of normalcy. Some of the challenges that prevented women and parents from working such as virtual learning and fear of virus exposure are behind us. Federal data suggests that we have finally regained all of the jobs lost during the pandemic.

Yet, the labor force participation rate is lower than before the pandemic. Some three million workers have vanished from the labor force. Concerningly, Black men and youth are now actually experiencing rising unemployment again. What explains the disappearance of millions of workers? Are women better or worse off than before the pandemic? How are parents faring? What’s occurring with entrepreneurs and small businesses? What do other measures of employment such as underemployment and multiple job holders tell us? Are there policies that the federal government or states could enact or avoid to nudge those workers back? Join us as we discuss these questions.

Tune in live on Monday, August 29th at 2 pm Eastern for the discussion:

Resources