Women's Progress Halted

nytimes.com — Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, either permanently or for long stretches. For the first time since the women's movement came to life, the percentage of women at work has fallen, not risen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. A trend attributed to more women choosing home over careers may have more to do with the economic downturn, according to a new Congressional study. After moving into virtually every occupation, women are being afflicted on a large scale by the same troubles as men: downturns, layoffs, outsourcing, stagnant wages or the discouraging prospect of an outright pay cut. And they are responding as men have, by dropping out or disappearing for a while.

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