While many characterise the recent crisis in the United States (U.S.) as a ‘man-cession,’ such analysis discounts the important impacts on women and families. The effect on these groups is particularly crucial given the ‘invisible’ space that a large degree of female labour occupies. Government responses thus far have largely favoured male job retention and creation. In light of these considerations, the authors propose direct job creation and female-targeted transfer payments to help ease the impact of these crises on groups that are falling largely outside of the response efforts to date.
This policy brief discusses that much of the stimulus in the United States is aimed at areas that under-address women. One clear policy, based on the Levy Institute simulations, is to inject stimulus funds into the social sector, providing a greater number of jobs to this highly feminised sector. The authors recommend direct job creation in the social sector, aid to females regardless of work status or citizenry, and single-mother targeted tax cuts and transfers). Recent aid packages to states are welcome initiatives and will help to ease the plight of women in the face of states’ reductions to meet balanced budget requirements. An area that still requires improvement is tax policy. Although certain tax incentives to households with children exist, few target women directly. Single-mother and minority household rebates and income transfers offer potential stabilising mechanisms to households that are traditionally among the most vulnerable.