Why Many Mothers Are Leaving the Workforce

Published: August 15, 2025

mom, mother, child, family — Photo by Bethany Beck on Unsplash

By India McCarty

A new report finds that more and more mothers choose to leave the workforce and spend more time at home with their kids.

“The share of mothers ages 25 to 44 with young children in the workforce has fallen nearly every month this year,” The Washington Post stated in a recent report. The outlet added that that number has dropped by almost 3 percentage points between January and June, “the lowest level in more than three years.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

So, what’s behind this shift? Many have blamed it on post-pandemic changes. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns led to increased flexibility in work schedules, making it easier for working moms to juggle their jobs and families. However, those changes are now coming to an end, and many mothers want to put their families first.

Julie Vogtman of National Women’s Law Center told Time that it’s not a coincidence that there’s a connection between the end of flexible remote work schedules and falling rates of working moms.

“Women still take on the lion’s share of caregiving responsibilities, and they are more likely than men to be navigating how to meet those caregiving responsibilities while holding down a job,” she told the magazine. “They are also more likely than men to feel that they have to leave the workforce when their balancing act becomes unmanageable.”

There’s also the rising cost of childcare. In Motherly’s 2025 State of Motherhood report, they found 54% of moms said childcare was “barely” or “not at all” affordable. Fifty percent of Millennial moms said the cost and stress of figuring out childcare has led them to consider leaving their jobs.

Other moms are finding new ways to hold jobs and take care of their families, such as part-time or freelance work.

Sarah Wedge, mom to a 3-year-old, told Time the convenience of freelancing has given her more time to spend with her daughter, adding, “It’s the whole fluid schedule that’s great.”

In a conversation with Business Insider, mom Karen Windsor explained how she made the decision to quit her job and pursue freelance opportunities that give her more time with her daughter.

“For the past year, I’ve taken advantage of my part-time schedule and have started building a flexible business as a freelance PR agent,” she shared. “This month, I permanently quit my corporate job, and I now work for myself with flexible hours.”

Windsor continued, “I’ll finally be able to prioritize self-care, which has been a low priority for years. I hope my new schedule will make me a more relaxed and present mom and wife.”

Rising childcare costs and the removal of programs that gave employees flexibility in their schedules lead to this decrease in mothers in the workplace, but many moms are thinking outside the box to continue working, while still spending time with their families.