Women are leaving the workforce en masse — and it’s primarily because of caregiving responsibilities and the cost of childcare, according to a recent survey that analyzed the reasons behind the exodus.
About 455,000 women exited the workforce between January and August 2025, according to CNN, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This startling statistic drove researchers at nonprofit firm Catalyst to survey over 1,000 women about why they made the decision to leave their jobs.
They found that 42% of women cited caregiving responsibilities, including the cost of childcare, as the reason for voluntarily leaving the workforce. Nearly one in five women who left their jobs reported feeling dissatisfied with pay as another contributing factor.
Among the women surveyed, 57% reported that they left the workforce voluntarily, while 43% were let go. Women of color (53%) were disproportionately affected by layoffs, compared to white women (37%).
“This research makes clear that women’s workforce exits are not about a lack of ambition or commitment,” Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst, said in a statement. “They reflect the reality that too many jobs still fail to account for caregiving responsibilities and economic pressures. If we want to understand why women are leaving, we have to look at how work continues to be structured.”
To retain women workers, employers must think about designing flexible schedules and introduce policies that relieve stressful caregiving responsibilities, advocates say.
“Women are not ‘opting out’ — they are leaving because many jobs are not designed around the logistical and financial realities of childcare and women’s lives,” said Sheila Brassel, PhD, a research director at Catalyst. “Employers that want to bring women back to the workforce and retain top talent need to take action through tangible and meaningful policies that support women’s full participation.”
Catalyst’s research supports similar findings from the University of Kansas that showed moms of young kids are exiting the workforce at alarming rates while fathers’ participation in the labor market remains steady, and from KPMG that show women are disproportionately affected by a lack of childcare support and stricter return-to-office policies.
