the Daily read

AN ARTICLE A DAY, PICKED BY OUR EDITORS

Welcome back to your Daily Read, which now features a quote and a chart each day in addition to our hand-picked must-read article.

It’s easy to find examples of the pandemic’s myriad effects on working women—look no further than the coworker who needed to adjust her schedule to help with remote schooling, for instance. But beyond anecdotes, what do the numbers say about the challenges of the past year? A series of charts drawn from McKinsey research offers a data-driven complement to the now-familiar stories of mounting household responsibilities, childcare challenges, and the like. Read on for a new lens on women in the workplace and what the future may hold as International Women’s Day draws to a close.

— Torea Frey, managing editor, Seattle

Seven charts that show COVID-19’s impact on women’s employment

For International Women’s Day 2021, here’s a look back at the harm that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on women’s employment trends—and a glimpse of how to restore progress.

Explore the data

Quote of the Day

“We are at a crossroads that I didn’t expect us to be on. One in four women are considering stepping out or stepping back from the workplace.”

—McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee, Creating a postpandemic recovery for women in the workplace

Chart of the Day

See today’s chart

Also new

A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Fathers who take leave help their partners, their families, and themselves. In this era of employee mental-health challenges, companies should take notice.

Grasp the nuances

How a steel plant in India tapped the value of data—and won global acclaim

By upskilling employees and innovating with analytics, Tata Steel’s plant in Kalinganagar, India, achieved performance gains that earned it recognition as a leading digital facility by the World Economic Forum.

See their steps

A battle plan for telcos’ digital-attacker brands

Many operators need to transform themselves to cope with new market conditions but have had difficulty making an organization-wide overhaul. A smart digital-attacker strategy may be the solution.

What does it take?

Follow our thinking