Pandemic had a negative impact on women’s career paths: studies

Bengaluru

Almost half of the women who took part in a recent survey said the pandemic has had a negative impact on their career path. Although 58% are currently in the process of re-entering the workforce, around 48% of them had quit their job before COVID-19, while 32% had quit during the pandemic and 20% are now between jobs.

According to Indeed, the top industries women are now re-entering are automotive (71%), manufacturing (70%), and construction and real estate (68%). The sector with the lowest proportion of women returning to work is retail (43%).

About 58% of respondents believed that female employees had left their jobs in the past two years to take on more family responsibilities, including childcare. According to the study, around 32% of women said they quit because of pandemic-related health issues (21%) and maternity leave (13%).

E-Commerce (77%), Construction & Real Estate and IT/ITeS (70% each) are the sectors where an overwhelming proportion of women cite family commitments as the main reason for leaving. While in retail, maternity leave was seen as the main reason (30%) for leaving the job.

A significant proportion of employers (39%) agree that women workers have left their company for family reasons in the last two years. About 27% said a lack of recognition from management was a major factor in women quitting, and 20% believed health and safety concerns likely caused by the pandemic were the reasons.

Nishita Lalvani, Senior Manager for Indeed India and South East Asia said, “Organizations need to ensure women are inspired and empowered to advance their careers by addressing what companies can do to support their female workforce. As organizations welcome back the female workforce, they need to ensure they equip the female workforce with the industry skills needed to retain and attract them.” The study involved 1,207 female professionals and 410 employers.