VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly jobs report shows the economy lost 140,000 net jobs in December.
All of the jobs lost were women’s jobs, with women losing 156,000 jobs and men gaining 16,000.
Francina Harrison, Founder and CEO of TCE Now, or The Career Engineer, said she's seen more women come to her office for help over the past year.
"It has been an increase here. I would say about a 20 to 30% locally," explained Harrison. "The filters are gone and we're seeing what's really happening."
Harrison said the numbers were upsetting, seeing women in businesses like retail, hospitality and restaurant service coming to her for help.
Experts have called it a "She-cession" or the "Pink Collar Recession," to show women were having trouble re-entering the workforce or had to give up their jobs to take care of families.
Jennifer Norris co-owns Sloppy Seconds Sports Bar and Grill in Virginia Beach, with two other women.
She said it had been a tough year, since they had to close down for a whole three months in 2020. She said being a women-run business had its own set of challenges.
"One of my partners had trouble with school being out because she has three children. One is 17 and the other two are under 17," said Norris. "So, with women and mothers around school being canceled, I'm sure it's an obstacle on its own."
Harrison said if you're out of the job or worried about losing your business, don't panic. There are a few things you can do.
She said you need to get comfortable with technology, whether that's working Zoom calls or finding a way to sell your business online. She said the pandemic has forced people to be more tech-savvy to better connect with others, and show your true personality virtually.
The next best thing she recommended was to never stop networking. She said if you can, treat networking and job searching like a full-time job. Set time aside every day to focus just on those goals.
"Believe it or not... anywhere and everybody is not a job search. That can be a waste of time," said Harrison. "What you have to do now is research those companies. You have to tap into your network, even though it's tough."
Harrison said the number one thing to remember was to stay calm, to prepare yourself for taking that next step.
She expected more women to see impacts of the pandemic in the years to come, but said women are important to the workforce, so don't let fear get in the way.