AS MASSACHUSETTS employers struggle to attract and retain workers, it’s worth remembering that experienced talent already exists here in the Commonwealth among the tens of thousands of caregivers who have left the workforce since the onset of COVID-19.

The good news as we approach International Women’s Day is that many of these caregivers – overwhelmingly women – have returned to the workplace as the pandemic has receded. The sobering news is that the rate at which women participate in the workforce remains less than it was prior to the pandemic and well below that of men.  Structural economic impediments such as the cost and availability of childcare, which forced millions of women nationwide to step to the sidelines during COVID, have not changed.

The COVID emergency in March 2020 fundamentally altered the concept of work/life balance. Offices were shuttered, employees were sent home, and commerce came to a screeching halt. Workplaces, homes, and schools melded into one. In that first year of the pandemic, a generation of female progress in the workforce was wiped out. Female workforce participation rates fell to levels not seen since 1988.

While the numbers recovered during 2021 and 2022, the labor force has still lost 410,000 women since February 2020. And while the number of employed women with four-year college degrees is above pre-pandemic levels, the Center for American Progress found that there were fewer women without college degrees at work today than in February 2020.

These mixed signals come at a time when virtually every corner of the state economy, from local manufacturers to leading national health care systems, is reporting challenges accessing, attracting, and retaining the talent. Although a number of these gaps can be tied to the overall prevalence of remote work introduced by the pandemic and outmigration of population to other states, they are also rooted in longstanding issues impacting caregivers in the workplace.

As businesses implement more creative methods to attract and sustain a diverse, reliable workforce for the long run, the question is, are the needs of caregivers, who are primarily female, being addressed in order to bring back this missing piece of the workforce?

We know through data that women and caregivers are facing a unique set of challenges in the workforce.  Employee caregivers struggle mentally, physically, and financially.  According to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, major issues impacting their participation in the workforce include:

  • Emotional stress juggling  job and caregiving responsibilities.
  • Lack of time for self-care.
  • Difficulty with scheduling doctor’s appointments and treatments around a job.
  • Dealing with interruptions or distractions related to the family member’s care while at work.

Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed are dealing with clinical depression and anxiety. And experts suggest that these employee caregivers are stretched so thin that one in three will leave the workforce permanently.

Massachusetts faces its own significant challenges with child and dependent care. The Status of Women in the States gives Massachusetts a C-minus grade on Work and Family issues, and ranks the Commonwealth 38th among the 50 states for childcare. The average annual cost for full-time care for an infant exceeds $18,000 in Massachusetts.

With a new administration at the helm in Massachusetts and a new legislative session underway, we know that policy makers understand that Massachusetts is facing workforce challenges. Gov. Maura Healey stated in her remarks at the January 2023 AIM Executive Forum “we are the greatest state in this country [but] I also know we have to be honest about the realities, and the fact is, Massachusetts is expensive — high housing costs, high child care costs, high electricity costs, unreliable transportation.” The governor, legislators, and employers alike recognize that a strong workforce is necessary for Massachusetts to remain economically strong and competitive.

As the nature of work continues to change, policy makers, businesses, and community leaders must work collaboratively to eliminate the barriers to workforce access that still exist for employee caregivers who seek to return to full employment. AIM knows that for the economy to thrive, businesses must succeed. And businesses need qualified talent to achieve this success.

By making Massachusetts more attractive to employee caregivers our businesses can maintain the world-class workforce they need to grow. Employers are already working to address these issues as part of a larger effort to become “the employer of choice.” Taking a look at the value employee caregivers bring to our economy and finding a way to meet their needs and bring them back into full employment will strengthen our economy, our labor market, and make Massachusetts the state of choice.

Brooke Thomson is executive vice president of government affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the statewide business association representing the interests of 3,500 employers.