MPLS/ST. PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL: Women left the workforce in droves during the pandemic. Employers need to lure them back.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ recent jobs report shows the U.S. economy added 235,000 jobs in August, but women accounted for just 12% of those gains.

Nationwide, the portion of women participating in the workforce has dropped to levels not seen since the 1980s, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

The trend has contributed to Twin Cities’ employers running into difficulty recruiting workers. As the pandemic stretches on, families continue to face uncertainty around school and child care — a major reason women dropped out of the workforce during the past year.