Wanted to amplify a few points raised today in my Retiring column @nytimesbusiness - things that wound up on the cutting room or that I hope to explore further with readers. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/business/women-retirement-covid-social-security.html?smid=tw-share

Much has been written about the “shecession” this year - the fact that women have faced disproportionate job loss due to the unique impact of the pandemic on the economy.

Industries where women tend to work have been hit hardest - education, health care and social services and service industries such as hairdressers, dry cleaners, dental offices and clothing stores. They are have born the brunt of increased caregiving responsibilities.

Some of that is gender bias, no doubt - but it also points to a vicious circle. Women typically earn less, so two-income households are keeping the higher-earner working when it becomes necessary for one to stay home. That’s rational economic decision-making.

Also well known is the retirement gender gap. I wanted to consider how pandemic-driven career interruption might worsen this gap. The answer - quite alot, when you look at how lost wages, wage growth and retirement benefits compound over time.

Single women are most at risk - a group that includes those who are widowed, divorced or never married. Federal data shows that older women are more likely to live alone than men - either because they are widowed, divorced or never married.

Solutions? Better support at the national level for caregiving would be very smart economic policy. That’s because it would make it so much easier for workers to balance careers with caregiving demands. Also legislation promoting pay equity is critical.

Social Security reforms that focus on boosting benefits for women also can play a critical role. BIden's SS plan contains important measures, including caregiver credits, and higher benefits for widows and the oldest old.

Probably also some things that could be done to improve the retirement saving system - greater portability, higher catch-up limits for late-career workers, but these seem less important to me than the ones mentioned above.

Important help on this story from: @SCEPA_economics @IWPResearch @amprog @YWCAUSA @DrVMDS @The_Mom_Project Thanks, folks!