US Economy

A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a national think tank focused on economic equity and eliminating barriers for women, estimates that the 16 states with the most restrictive abortion policies are responsible for more than $68 billion in annual lost earnings. In places like Alabama, Louisiana, and West Virginia, abortion bans have pushed women out of the workforce, diminished their earnings, and limited job growth, the report found. Removing reproductive health-care barriers could result in an estimated 325,000 more women aged 15-44 participating in the workforce each year, the report shows. That could boost the national…