In the early part of the Great Recession, men became unemployed at higher rates than women, which lead to a substantial focus on the impact of the recession on men and terms like “the great mancession.” This focus on men’s unemployment overshadowed the fact that during the recession women continued to earn less than men and remained more likely to fall into poverty. Heidi Hartmann, Robert Drago and Jeffery Hayes from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research will examine the economic difficulties faced by women, particularly those in low-wage jobs, during the Great Recession.

According to the Federal Reserve, U.S. households lost approximately 25 percent of their aggregate wealth between the end of 2007 and the middle of 2009, when the Great Recession was officially declared at an end. Since then, about half of that lost wealth has been rebuilt, as equity markets have bounced back and households have increased savings and reduced debt. But the recovery has been far from uniform.