Gender and employment during COVID-19: The evidence for 'she-cessions'

• Francesca Caselli interviewed by
• Tim Phillips
• 11 May 2021

Francesca Caselli of the IMF talks to Tim Phillips about evidence for the extent and persistence of pandemic-induced she-cessions, drawing on quarterly data from 38 advanced and emerging market economies, which uncovers significant heterogeneity across countries. In two-thirds of the countries studied, women’s employment rates declined more than men’s, but the differences were short-lived – lasting only a quarter or two on average – and strongly correlated to specific sectors of the economy.