As the coronavirus dragged into the fall with no sign of letting up, it became clear just how big of an economic toll the current recession was taking on women. Last September, 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce. That’s compared to 216,000 men.

The reasons are varied according to economists: women tend to work in industries harder hit by social distancing. And with many schools and day cares shuttered, or partially open, the task of caring for kids and managing remote learning fell disproportionately to moms.

It’s an issue Brigid Schulte has explored for years. She is the director of The Better Life Lab, the work-family justice program at New America, a nonpartisan think tank. She is also the author of “Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One has the Time.”