The gendered impact of the pandemic on economic participation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) remains clear. High-Frequency phone Survey (HFPS) data collected by the World Bank in mid-2020 showed that women in LAC were 45 percent more likely to lose their jobs than men.

Many feared that COVID-19 would lead to a permanent setback in gender equality in economic opportunities. Nearly a year and a half later, a new round of phone survey data collected by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in an even larger range of countries allowed us to take stock.

The results are concerning. Well over a year after the start of the pandemic, the gendered impact on economic participation in LAC did not dissipate. Employment losses continued to be markedly (2.3 times) higher for women than for men. Entry into employment is also relatively less common for women than for men.