The remote work reversal: How the push back to office is widening America’s gender pay gap

The pandemic redefined what work could look like. Flexibility became a lifeline for millions of women who were finally able to balance ambition with caregiving responsibilities, no longer forced to choose between career and family. But as corporate America pulls the plug on remote work, that fragile equilibrium is cracking. What was once a breakthrough for gender equity is now morphing into a quiet setback. Recent figures from the US Census Bureau reveal that women working full-time now earn 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, marking the widest pay gap since 2016. The reversal, economists say, is not coincidental; it coincides with a nationwide push to bring employees back to physical offices. The result: More women quitting, scaling back, or settling for lower-paying roles that