Unemployment

Unemployment among women, especially those who head families, remains high, and many women are at risk of losing unemployment insurance benefits. We're working for unemployment insurance reforms to expand coverage and improve benefits for women.

Highlights

Fact Sheet | Stronger Jobs Recovery Reaching Women

May 3, 2013

This resource, updated monthly as new data on jobs and unemployment is released, shows how women are faring in the recovery that officially started in June 2009. 

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Fact Sheet | Renewing Federal Emergency Unemployment Insurance Benefits: Vital for Women & Families – and the Economy

December 11, 2012

Persistently high unemployment – and historic levels of long-term unemployment – necessitate renewing federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits that are set to expire in December 2012.

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Reports & Toolkits | Third Anniversary of the Recovery Shows Job Growth for Women Slowed by Public Sector Job Losses

July 9, 2012

The deep recession that began in December 2007 was harder on male workers, but the recovery that officially began in June 2009 has been slower for women. After losing ground at the start of the recovery, the pace of the recovery has picked up for women. Three years into the recovery (June 2009 to June 2012), women have gained back 24 percent of the jobs they lost during the recession; men have gained back 39 percent.

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Reports & Toolkits | A "Man"ufacturing Comeback: Men's and Women's Employment Gains and Losses in 2011

March 19, 2012

In 2011 manufacturing employment increased for the first time in more than a decade, with annual average employment rising by 205,000 jobs. Unfortunately, women did not share in these gains. In fact, between 2010 and 2011 men’s annual average employment in manufacturing increased by 230,000 jobs while women’s dropped by 25,000 jobs.

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More Resources

Infographics and Internet Memes | Federal and State Programs Lift the Incomes of Millions of Americans Above the Poverty Line

September 21, 2012

Congress is about to choose between protecting programs for struggling families and expanding tax cuts for millionaires. That choice should be easy.

Infographic: Federal and State Programs Lift the Incomes of Millions of Americans Above the Poverty Line

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Reports & Toolkits | Third Anniversary of the Recovery Shows Job Growth for Women Slowed by Public Sector Job Losses

July 09, 2012

The deep recession that began in December 2007 was harder on male workers, but the recovery that officially began in June 2009 has been slower for women. After losing ground at the start of the recovery, the pace of the recovery has picked up for women. Three years into the recovery (June 2009 to June 2012), women have gained back 24 percent of the jobs they lost during the recession; men have gained back 39 percent.

 Read more...

Reports & Toolkits | A "Man"ufacturing Comeback: Men's and Women's Employment Gains and Losses in 2011

March 19, 2012

In 2011 manufacturing employment increased for the first time in more than a decade, with annual average employment rising by 205,000 jobs. Unfortunately, women did not share in these gains. In fact, between 2010 and 2011 men’s annual average employment in manufacturing increased by 230,000 jobs while women’s dropped by 25,000 jobs.

 Read more...

Coalition Action Materials | Letters in Support of Extending Emergency Unemployment Insurance

November 11, 2011

The National Women's Law Center sent letters to members of the House and Senate in support of legislation that would extend emergency unemployment benefits.

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Fact Sheet | State-by-State Fact Sheets on Protecting State Unemployment Insurance

October 21, 2011

Unemployment insurance (UI) is critical for women and their families, yet some states enacted laws in 2011 to cut UI benefits – and other states’ UI programs are under particular threat in 2012. 

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