The Current State of the U.S. Market and How It Affects Women

BY SARIKA JARUGUMILLI

In 2025, the U.S. economy is experiencing modest but uneven growth. While inflation has cooled since its 2022 peak, prices for essentials remain high. Interest rate policies have helped stabilize the market, but challenges like expensive housing, student loan repayments, and a tight job market persist. These factors affect everyone, but women—especially working mothers and women of color—often bear a disproportionate burden.

Women dominate sectors like healthcare, education, retail, and hospitality, which were hit hard by the pandemic and remain unstable. These fields typically offer lower pay and fewer benefits, contributing to economic insecurity. The gender pay gap persists, with women earning about 82 cents for every dollar earned by men—an even wider gap for Black and Latina women.

Kelly Batson. Daniel Fries Staff Directory.

U.S. Stock Market Crash. NewsBytes.

Kelly Batson, a real estate appraiser at Daniel Fries & Associates Inc., observes, “The U.S. market is currently seeing more college-educated women in the workforce than in the past. This has both a positive and negative effect. Positive is that women are advancing in the workplace; however, they are still not compensated the same as their male counterparts. With more women in the workforce, there are fewer women staying home to raise a family.”

One of the biggest financial hurdles for women remains childcare. Many families spend over 20% of their income on it, leading some women to reduce work hours or leave the workforce. While national attention on paid leave and childcare has grown, progress remains slow and uneven.

The shift toward remote work during the pandemic offered new flexibility, but many companies are now mandating returns to the office. This shift disadvantages women who rely on flexible schedules to balance caregiving duties, threatening recent gains in workforce participation.

Despite these challenges, more women are turning to entrepreneurship. Women-owned businesses now make up nearly 40% of all U.S. firms. Entrepreneurship offers flexibility and control, but women—particularly women of color—still face systemic barriers to funding and support.

To ensure women can thrive in today’s economy, inclusive policy solutions are essential. Expanding access to affordable childcare, enforcing equal pay, investing in women-owned businesses, and supporting flexible work policies are key. Economic resilience depends on supporting all members of the workforce—especially women.