DES MOINES, Iowa — It's been dubbed the "she-cession": Throughout the pandemic, data has shown women are leaving the workforce at a disproportionate rate compared to men.
Data from the U.S. Labor Department shows, of the people who left or lost their jobs since the pandemic began, almost 60% of them were women.
Child care is reported to be a big barrier causing many moms to stay home.
Wednesday, the governor signed an Executive Order forming the Child Care Task Force.
One of the goals is to increase child care slots in Iowa by 50% in five years.
"The pandemic has disproportionately affected women's opportunities for careers and advancements and that is a reality that we cannot accept," Child Care Task Force Chair Emily Schmitt said.
The task force will present recommendations to the governor within 100 days to address the state's child care crisis.