UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISING FASTER AMONG WOMEN
Recovery Act Jobs and Training Must Include Women, NWLC Says (Washington, D.C.) Unemployment data released today show that women’s unemployment rate rose faster than men’s in May – and unemployment among women who head families rose even faster, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) said today. “Today’s data confirm that this recession is hitting both women and men hard. While men’s unemployment rate is still higher than women’s, women are now losing jobs at a faster rate than men. And the unemployment rate for women who head families – who are particularly vulnerable – is surging,†said Nancy Duff Campbell, NWLC Co-President. NWLC’s analysis of the Labor Department’s May unemployment data finds that: “It is vital that women have fair access to jobs and job training opportunities created by the economic recovery act passed earlier this year,†Campbell stated. “The federal government needs to ensure that recipients of recovery funds are complying with their civil rights obligations in hiring and training people for these jobs.†To speak to an NWLC expert about what the unemployment data show about trends in economic well-being among women and their families and their implications for public policy, contact Adrienne Ammerman at 202-588-5180 orAAmmerman@nwlc.org. ### The National Women's Law Center is a non-profit organization that has been working since 1972 to advance and protect women's legal rights. The Center focuses on major policy areas of importance to women and their families including economic security, education, employment and health, with special attention given to the concerns of low-income women. For more information on the Center, visit: www.nwlc.org.
