DENVER (KDVR) — The pandemic has taken a hit on the United States economy and many people across the county and here in Colorado are struggling with unemployment but reports from the Division of Labor Force Statistics stated some people are having to leave the work force to be at home.
The report from National Bureau of Economic Research, stated the COVID-19 recession is tougher on women. One of the reasons stated was because they have to be home taking care of the children.
“The coronavirus shutdowns have closed schools and daycare centers around the country, keeping kids at home and making it even harder for parents (especially mothers who tend to provide the majority of childcare) to keep working. Childcare poses an additional challenge to working mothers during the pandemic,” the report said.
In the past 20 years, according to the BLS website, employment for women 20 years or older has only dropped below 57% three times. All three of those times were in 2020 during the pandemic, with the lowest at 56.3% in April 2020.
“I know a lot of parents, particularly moms who left the work force because they have to take care of kids because they are not in school or daycare,” Melanie Piazza, a mother of two said.
Piazza founded a co-working and community center business with onsite childcare, called Family Village in Longmont.
But once the pandemic hit she had to close her doors because the church they rented takes COVID protocol seriously. So now she’s at home with her husband, 8-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.
“There is the bright spots where we get this quality time together but we’re ready for this to be over thats for sure,” Piazza said.
She does plan on opening her business back up when things with the pandemic have passed.