U.S. Women, Hispanic Workers Face Bleak Start to 2021 Job Market

Women and workers of color continue to bear the brunt of job losses as the coronavirus rages across the U.S.

Unemployment for women and Hispanic workers rose in December for the first time in eight months, eroding recent improvement and capping a devastating year for these groups, Labor Department data showed Friday. The unemployment rate for Hispanic workers rose to 9.3% while female joblessness climbed to 6.7%.

The U.S. lost 140,000 jobs last month, largely in the leisure and hospitality industry, which employs a large share of women and minorities. The pandemic has erased years of economic progress for women ...