LinkedIn Survey: Working Women Lives Have Turned 'Upside Down' Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - More than 67 million women are currently employed in the U.S. For many of them, the pandemic has turned life upside down.

A LinkedIn survey finds 70% of working women feel they need to lower their career expectations.

60% feel they're underperforming in all areas of life. 39% of working moms feel they are failing their children.

"So many women right now were thrown into remote work in March when this pandemic began and it's just not working. There are no sustainable policies in place," says LinkedIn's Caroline Fairchild.

She is encouraging women to find their voice.

"Despite the struggles that women are facing at home, there's still this stigma. This stigma that you can't feel like you can talk about with your manager what you're facing at home and the pandemic has made all of that worse," Fairchild says.

LinkedIn is also encouraging women to speak up if they think they deserve a raise, but finds they are less likely to do so than their male counterparts.

275,000 women left the workforce this past January, according to the Labor Department.

That's compared to 71,000 men.

Karisma Jay is hanging on. She ran her New York dance studio as a place for people to realize their biggest dreams. When the pandemic shut down the city, she lost more than half her business. "I said to our adult clients, 'We're going to close.' The parents didn't let me," Jay said.

She struggled to stay afloat. While the studio was empty, the rent was still due.

"I had to ask our teachers if they would be OK with taking a pay cut, like, it was significant, by at least 15%, 20%. It's heartbreaking. I let myself cry," Jay said.

Now, she's switched her classes to Zoom and crosses her fingers every day that the lights stay on.