COMMUNICATIONS CONUNDRUM The communications industry has been more adversely affected than the general population.
Communications industry is being hit harder than general population; Almost 2X During the pandemic, unemployment levels rose exponentially for the Communications U.S. industry is being hit harder thanwere general population; Almost 2X or more employees in communication industry either laid off,infurloughed receive Almost were 2X more employees the employees in communication either laid off, furloughed or received reduced pandemic vs.industry general population population overall. In fact, in the crisis’s first months, the U.S. job market took during A higher percentage of general minority groups experienced negative joblaid impact communications industry were either off, during pandemic vs. population a wallop greater than the hit it took during the entire Great Recession of 2007furloughed, or received reduced pay during 2009.1 Pew Research compares the unemployment rate during the pandemic pandemic vs. general population to the nadir of our modern era—the Great Depression of the 1920s-1930s.2 WIC+MIC WIC+MIC
Laid off, furloughed, reduced pay during pandemic 36%
IN COMMUNICATIONS Our WomenHeard survey found that compared to the 36% WIC MIC Gen Pop general work population, those in the communications field have been almost 21% 40% two times as likely to have lost their job, been furloughed, or experienced a pay 38% 21% reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among women in communications 33% 30% (WIC), one in five lost their job, were furloughed, or experienced a pay 26% Laid off, furloughed, reduced pay during pandemic reduction—but, perhaps surprisingly, men in communications (MIC) were 21% Laid off, furloughed, reduced pay during pandemic 20% impacted even more: One in four saw a negative job impact. HispanicAor higher A higher percentage percentage of of minority minority groups groups experienced experienced negative negative job job impact impact groups A higher percentage of minority Latinx workers in communications have been particularly impacted.
50%
Q: (WF1) How was your job impacted over the course of the last year (2020 through now)? Please select all that apply experienced negative job impact Q: (WF1) How was your job impacted over the course of the last year (2020 through now)? Please select all that apply. 1 Laid off, furloughed, reduced pay during pandemic W h i t e / Ca u c as ia n
“When the pandemic hit, all eyes turned to the comms team to figure out what to say both internally and externally. … But there was no playbook for this. Then social unrest rocked the U.S. and now thinned-out comms teams had to make sense of it all.”
Laid Laid off,off, furloughed, furloughed, reduced reduced paypay during during pandemic pandemic A f ri c an A m er ic a n / B l ac k / Ca ri b b ean Am eri c a n
O the rs ( AAPI , Hi sp a ni c Am eri c a n I nd i an o r Al as 50% 50%
WICMICMICGenGen WIC PopPop 40% 40%
38% 38%
Q: (CB3) Are you Hispanic or Latin[o/a/x]? 33% Q: (CB4) What is 33% your racial identity? 30% 30% 26% Q: (WF1) How was your job impacted over 26% the course of the last year (2020 through now)? Please 21%21%
20% 20%
22% 22%
—GEORGIA GALANOUDIS, Chief Experience Officer, HIMSS | 2021-2022 NYWICI President-Elect WhiW te /hC i taeu /c Caasuia ca ns ia n
6
Af ri cAafn ri cAam n eArm icaen r i/cBalna/cB kl/aCcakr/iC ba breia bn b ean Am eArm i caen ri c a n
Q: (CB3) Q: (CB3) AreAre youyou Hispanic Hispanic or Latin[o/a/x]? or Latin[o/a/x]? Q: (CB4) Q: (CB4) What What is your is your racial racial identity? identity?
O the Ortsh(eA rsA(PAI,AHPi sI,pHainsipcaonricLo atrin L[aot i/na[/ox/]a, /x], Am eArm i caen ri cInad ni a Inndoi arnAol ar sA ka lasNkaatiN ve a,tiveet c , . )et c. )
Source: NYWICI #womenheard survey
