New data suggest a striking surge in women leaving the US workforce—around 600,000 in the past year, raising a critical question: how much is this linked to policy shifts under President Donald Trump? While the number points to a broader structural issue, the timing and environment of his administration may have exacerbated the trend.
A sharp exit from the workforce
Recent reports from CNN and The Economist show women’s labour-force participation is dropping sharply. According to report, hundreds of thousands of women are leaving the workforce, reversing gains made during the pandemic recovery.
Participation for prime-age women (25-44) has seen a decline from its post-Covid peak, The Economist reported. While the figure of 600,000 comes from aggregated data, analysts caution that exact counts vary depending on how job exits are measured.
What’s driving the exodus?
Several factors are at play. Firstly, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving and domestic responsibilities. The rollback of pandemic-era supports like subsidised childcare and remote-work flexibility has intensified the pressure. CNN reports that women who had benefited from remote work and flexible schedules now face stricter in-office demands, forcing some to choose between work and home.
Secondly, job restructuring under the current administration may have hit women harder. Public-sector cuts and shifting federal work policies have disproportionately affected female-dominated fields. Some experts link the pattern to broader policy decisions made under Trump, including changes to federal employment practices and transitions away from flexibility.
Thirdly, the sectors where women are concentrated education, healthcare, retail are facing their own pressures. With inflation high, household budgets tighter, and wages often stagnant, many women report that the maths no longer work: the cost of work (commute, childcare, time) exceeds the gain.
The Trump effect – direct or indirect?
Linking the surge in women’s job exits purely to President Trump is difficult, but there are suggestive overlaps. The return-to-office push, championed by the Trump-administration ethos and mirrored in private-sector mandates and the scaling back of childcare subsidies coincided with the uptick in exits. CNN’s interactive data piece identifies the removal of flexibility and the cost of care as key factors in 2025.
Moreover, layoffs and downsizing in the federal government, a major employer of women- have intensified under the current administration according to some analyses. These moves may have disproportionately affected women’s job security and prospects.
Why this matters
The implications are broad and deep. Economically, losing women’s labour participation weakens growth prospects, given that women constitute nearly half the workforce. Socially, it threatens the progress made in reducing gender gaps in employment and earnings. Long-term career breaks can erode future earnings, advancement and retirement security for women.
For the administration and for policymakers, the decline raises uncomfortable questions about the unintended consequences of policy shifts. If large numbers of women are choosing (or being forced) out of work, the ripple effects will go far beyond individual households — affecting productivity, social mobility and economic resilience.
Moving forward
Addressing this trend will require multi-faceted policy responses: restoring flexibility in work arrangements, enhancing childcare access and affordability, and ensuring female-dominated sectors are protected in workforce transitions. The data show it’s not only about jobs being lost, it’s about women choosing to leave because the system doesn’t fit their lives anymore.
While President Trump may not be the sole architect behind this shift, his term has coincided with changes that may have tipped the balance. For women in the workforce, the question remains: how many more will leave before policy catches up with reality?