Exploring the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Professional Trajectories of Young Women: Findings from the Eurobarometer “Women in Times of COVID-19”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a deep global economic crisis, hitting the labour market very hard. Young women were among the hard-hit, hence a slight departure from the usual trend observed in the recent economic crises where men usually were more affected. The paper investigates how the pandemic affected the professional careers of young women in EU27 and Romania. Other aspects considered in the study are work-life balance, working hours, and the career decisions to be made, such as a change in income. In addition, this study adds to the literature in examining variations among different young women's socio-demographic groups to identify which groups are mostly hit by the pandemic in relation to career issues. Data for this study is taken from the Flash Eurobarometer 2712, "Women in times of COVID-19". In the research, there was a descriptive analysis, non-parametric tests, and six binary logistic regression models. The results indicated that the pandemic of COVID-19 hit the work life of young women in Romania more severely compared to the average of EU27. Young women aged 15-24, the self-employed, and workers with 16-19 years of education have been most severely affected among the EU27 in their professional careers due to the pandemic. This evidence will add to a rich tapestry of research related to the impact of the crisis on employment opportunities for young women.