More than 455,000 women exited the U.S. workforce between January and August 2025, according to new research from Catalyst.
The findings challenge narratives that frame women’s exits as voluntary lifestyle choices. Instead, the data point to structural gaps in how work is designed—particularly for caregivers—at a moment when workforce flexibility is becoming a defining issue for employers.
Caregiving Is the Leading Driver of Voluntary Exits
Among women who left the workforce over the past year, 58% did so voluntarily, while 42% were laid off. For those who chose to leave, caregiving responsibilities were the most common reason cited.
42% of women who voluntarily exited said caregiving—including the cost and availability of childcare—was the strongest factor behind their decision. The reality is that women continue to shoulder the majority of unpaid caregiving labor, often while working in roles that offer limited flexibility.
Layoffs Hit Women of Color Harder
The research also reveals uneven impacts across racial and ethnic groups. Women from marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds were significantly more likely to report being laid off than White women.
More than half of women of color who left the workforce said they were laid off, compared with just over a third of White women. This disparity mirrors broader labor market patterns, as women of color are more likely to work in frontline roles, hold federal jobs affected by workforce reductions, and carry caregiving responsibilities that make job loss harder to absorb.
Flexibility Gaps Widen Workforce Attrition
Schedule rigidity emerged as a major fault line separating women who stayed employed from those who left. 37% of women who voluntarily exited had worked in jobs without schedule flexibility, compared with 22% of women who remained employed full time.
The lack of flexibility compounded other pressures. Nearly one in five women who left cited dissatisfaction with pay, while many also reported burnout linked to job market uncertainty and concerns about job security. Together, these factors suggest that exits often stem from cumulative strain rather than a single trigger.
What the Data Signals for the Future of Work
The findings point to clear implications for employers navigating talent shortages and retention challenges. As caregiving demands collide with rigid work structures, flexibility is a baseline expectation—especially for retaining experienced women and enabling re-entry after workforce exits.
Organizations can intervene by offering genuine schedule flexibility, reducing caregiving burdens through benefits and subsidies, and addressing persistent pay and advancement gaps that limit long-term retention.
