Marketplace · Friday, September 11, 2026
The widening gender wage gap is discouraging women from participating in the labor force, as they may not earn enough to cover unpaid responsibilities like childcare. This also destabilizes the care industry, which is predominantly female and underpaid, leading to high turnover.
“A woman looking out at the marketplace to find a job, I already know that I'm starting from a lower level.”
“So some women decide that getting a job just isn't worth it.”
“And that undermines the stability of the care provided because you have this sort of constant turnover that is particularly pronounced, and we would expect that in a low wage industry.”