Abstract:
A recovery strategy that aims to put Ontario back where it was in 2007 means no progress for women. Women had lower levels of employment and higher levels of poverty before, during and after the recession.
Young women were among the biggest losers during the recession - experiencing nearly double the rate of decline in their employment as young men.
At the other end of the spectrum, the numbers of women who stayed in the workforce after age 65 doubled betwen 2007-2013.
Single mothers with childern under six saw the biggest increase (among parents) in their rate of unemployment - from 11% in 2007 to 17% in 2010.
What women in Ontario need is a recovery strategy that addresses the gender gap - providing increased security for women and greater stability for the economy.
On Child Care:
A recovery that lifts women out of economic insecurity must also address the barriers women face to filling jobs in the sectors where job growth is happening. Women are nine times more likely to cite child care as a reason for staying in part-time work rather than taking full-time work. Investing in safe, affordable child care will eliminate one of the biggest barriers to women's participation in paid work. It will ensure that working families don't have to decide between economic security and the safety of their children. Finally, investments in child care have demonstrated economic benefits: increasing GDP and decreasing income inequality.