Women lost more jobs early in the pandemic. They’re also returning faster.

After five years at home with her six kids, Tiffany Feliciano often daydreamed about returning to work. But it wasn’t until a few months ago that rising grocery costs and readily available jobs finally lured her back to the workforce. In December, Feliciano took a job in health-care administration, returning to the field she’d left before the pandemic. The years in between were a blur of virtual schooling and caring for her kids, now ages 6 to 14, while her husband traveled for his sales job. But with their weekly grocery bill approaching $400, and savings beginning to dwindle, she decided it was time to rejoin the labor force.