Why moms are leaving their paid jobs

<p dir="ltr">Moms are quitting — or getting pushed out. Workforce participation for mothers in the U.S. has been dropping for most of this year, and the reasons are more complicated than return-to-office mandates. Today on the show, we talk to moms about why they left their jobs and to economist <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/books/swiftynomics/hardcover" target="_blank">Misty Heggeness</a>, who has studied the phenomenon. <p dir="ltr">Find more of Misty’s <a href="https://thecareboard.ku.edu/labor-force-participation-tracker-parents-children-under-5" target="_blank">research here</a>. <p dir="ltr"><strong>Related episodes:  <br /></strong><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/07/29/1197967900/how-insurance-is-affecting-the-cost-of-childcare" target="_blank">How insurance is affecting the cost of childcare</a> <br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/09/1004892039/women-work-and-the-pandemic" target="_blank">Women, work and the pandemic</a>  <br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/30/1011968802/that-time-america-paid-for-universal-daycare" target="_blank">That time America paid for universal daycare</a> <p dir="ltr"><em>For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank">plus.npr.org</a>. Fact-checking by <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez" target="_blank">Sierra Juarez</a>. Music by <a href="https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Drop Electric</a>. Find us: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money" target="_blank">Newsletter</a>.  </em><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>