Women, Work, Aging and Financial Security

Lifetime Employment-Related Costs to Women of Providing Family Care

This report from the Urban Institute, commissioned by the Women’s Bureau, examines how the amount of time spent providing care to children and adults impacts women’s economic well-being, even long after the caregiving ends. Researchers found that the estimated employment-related costs for mothers providing unpaid care average $295,000 over a lifetime, based on the 2021 U.S. dollar value, adjusted for inflation. Unpaid family caregiving reduces a mother’s lifetime earnings by 15 percent, which also creates a reduction in retirement income.

Blogs

From coast to coast, the gender wage gap is worse for older women. This analysis shows that across 49 states and the 35 largest metropolitan areas, older women’s wages are lower than those of comparable males, and these gender differences are larger than those experienced by prime-age workers.

No golden years: The wage gap for older women of color. We analyzed the gender wage gap for older persons, and found that the gap is wider for black and Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic white women.

Older women’s wealth: Still coming up short. Wealth is a critical indicator of economic well-being and financial security, and dramatic gender, racial and ethnic differences in wealth persist in the U.S. Among people who are 50 or older, Black and Hispanic women have less than one-fifth the wealth of comparable white non-Hispanic men (16% and 18%, respectively), and non-Hispanic white women have a wealth level that is 78% as high.

Older and wiser, but not richer: The gender pay gap for older workers. Our analysis finds vast gender and racial gaps in the wealth of people 50+, which has implications for women’s economic security in retirement.

Older Women and Unpaid Caregiving: Eldercare, Grandmothers Raising Their Grandkids, and More

Living on Less: Persistent Gender Disparities in Income Levels, Sources for Older Adults

Older women are an essential element of both paid and unpaid caregiving infrastructure in the U.S.

This brief examines the income levels and sources for women aged 65 and older. It also considers differences by age, race/ethnicity and marital status, and discusses policy options for improving the retirement security of older women.

The Rise of Older Women Workers, 1980-2021

Women ages 55 and older now account for more than one-in-ten U.S. workers, thanks to dramatic changes in their labor force participation over the past 40 years.

The Menopause Transition and Work

The Women’s Bureau held a roundtable to hear perspectives from a variety of fields on the impact of the menopause transition on women workers and steps that policymakers and employers can take to help those experiencing menopause symptoms remain employed.

Let’s Talk About It: Menstruation and Menopause at Work

This Issue Brief details the impact of menstruation and menopause on workers and what types of policies and supports can be implemented to help improve employee experiences at work. Employers can take action with meaningful worker protections, flexibilities and accommodations to ensure workplaces are more inclusive of employees experiencing menstruation and the menopause transition; reduce the stigma surrounding these aspects of life; and improve all menstruators’ quality of life at work. Read the Let’s Talk About It: Menstruation and Menopause at Work Issue Brief .

Related from the Women’s Bureau

Click on our Data and Statistics page to find age-specific analyses by gender of unemployment, earnings, part-time employment and more
Read our fact sheet: Two Years into the Pandemic, Women Ages 65 and Older Had Yet to Recover Their COVID-Related Employment Losses