Trump could be a great job creator, if he backs women in the workplace
President Donald Trump could live up to his promise to be “the greatest jobs producer that God ever create”, according to an influential think tank, but he may need to promote female-friendly policies to do so.
Trump's inauguration on Friday prompted more than 600 Women's March events globally with a focus on issues like equality and reproductive healthcare.
But now the Resolution Foundation has reported that Trump's focus on jobs in “traditionally male” sectors like manufacturing and mining risks missing out on potentially larger gains.
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In the US, participation rates for women aged between 25 and 54 have fallen since 2000, with increasing proportions citing home responsibilities and illness or disability.
However, the opposite is true in the UK, and in the second quarter of 2016, female participation was almost six percentage points lower in the US than the UK.
That gap is almost a third larger than the difference in male participation between the two countries.
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Resolution Foundation researcher Daniel Tomlinson said: “As President Trump starts his plan to 'Make American Great Again' there are important lessons he can draw upon from the jobs success of Britain. These range from higher minimum wages and tax credits to make work pay, to childcare support to boost female employment.
“These pro-employment policies have the added benefit of helping to tackle inequality – another pressing issue that the new President faces.”
In particular, the think tank argued that the lack of policy action on childcare costs and maternity leave accounted for a third of the difference in female participation between the US and other economies.