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Women of color have been hit especially hard: the labor force participation rate for Black women has fallen by 3.6 percentage points95 during the pandemic as compared to 1.3 percentage points for Black men96 and 1.7 percentage points for White women.97 As the economy recovers, the effects of the pandemic -related recession may continue to impact households, including a risk of longer -term effects on earnings and economic potential. For example, unemployed workers, especially those who have experienced longer periods of unemployment, earn lower wages over the long term once rehired.98 In addition to the labor market consequences for unemployed workers, recessions can also cause longer -term economic challenges through, among other factors, damaged consumer credit scores99 and reduced familial and childhood wellbeing.'°° These potential long-term economic consequences underscore the continued need for robust policy support. Low- and moderate -income households, those with income levels at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), face particular hardships and challenges. These households report much higher rates of food insecurity and housing hardships than households with higher incomes. For example, households with incomes at or below 300 percent FPL are several times 95 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Participation Rate - 20 Yrs. & Over, Black or African American Women [LNS11300032], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300032 (last visited December 7, 2021). 96 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Participation Rate - 20 Yrs. & Over, Black or African American Men [LNS 11300031 ], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300031 (last visited December 7, 2021). 97 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Participation Rate - 20 Yrs. & Over, White Women [LNS11300029], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300029 (last visited December 7, 2021). 98 See, e.g., Michael Greenstone & Adam Looney, Unemployment and Earnings Losses: A Look at Long -Term Impacts of the Great Recession on American Workers, Brookings Institution (Nov. 4, 2011), https://www.brookings.edu/blog/jobs/2011 /11/04/unemployment-and-earnings-losses-a-look-at-long-term-impacts- of-the-great-recession-on-american-workers/. 99 Chi Chi Wu, Solving the Credit Conundrum: Helping Consumers' Credit Records Impaired by the Foreclosure Crisis and Great Recession, National Consumer Law Center (Dec. 2013), https://www.ncic.org/images/pdf/credit_reports/report-credit-conundrum-2013 .pdf. 100 Irwin Garfinkel, Sara McLanahan, Christopher Wimer, eds., Children of the Great Recession, Russell Sage Foundation (Aug. 2016), available at https://www.russellsage.org/publications/children-great-recession. 75