Women Share Why They’ve Left the Workforce
Originally published by Alicia Wallace, Soph Warnes, Leah Abucayan, and Marco Chacon for CNN
More than 450,000 women have dropped out of the US labor market since January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Outside of the pandemic, it’s one of the steepest declines on record.
While there is a confluence of factors at play, the surge has been driven largely by women with young children. The broader trend, however, has economists sounding the alarm that the losses not only could erase the historic gains women have made since the pandemic, but also reshape the labor force for years to come.
CNN heard from hundreds of women who left their jobs this year — some by choice, plenty not. Here are some of their experiences. Entries have been edited for length and clarity.