After a year of the pandemic’s outbreak, the balance of its effects on the job market is not comforting, especially if we look at the increase in unemployment and the gender gap. The categories that were most impacted by the health emergency were those who were already the most disadvantaged in the workplace: women and young people. In particular, we have witnessed an increase in the workload which has added to family responsibilities, especially for women with children. The percentage of women who lost their jobs in 2020 was double that of men and the gender employment gap created during the lockdown has not been closed.
A difficult scenario that forces us to get out of this impasse. 2021-22 must be the two-year period for the restart also for women's employment and leadership, through promotion and support policies that are concretely capable of positively impacting the situation.
A positive signal also comes from the Recovery plan which provides for "a significant investment in young people and women". In fact, the Plan has included a clause to promote youth and female employment as well as measures to expand the offer of kindergartens, the strengthening of the nursery school and the improvement of assistance to the elderly and disabled that will indirectly help women, who often have to bear most of the care efforts.
Phone: +39 02 86 90 661
Email: amcham@amcham.it
PEC: amcham@pec.it
