[COPY] Women Are Quitting. WTF Is Happening? – Substack

Report on Female Labor Force Participation and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent analysis of labor market data reveals a significant decline in female workforce participation in the United States, presenting a considerable challenge to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). This trend, most pronounced among college-educated women with young children, signals a regression in economic gender parity and highlights systemic barriers that impede women’s full and equal participation in the economy. This report examines the statistical evidence, analyzes the contributing factors, and assesses the long-term implications for sustainable development.

Key Statistical Findings

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and a study by KPMG indicate a reversal of previous gains in female employment:

• Over 600,000 women have exited the job market in the past year.
• The female labor force participation rate has decreased from 57.7% to 56.9%.
• This has resulted in the most significant increase in the male-female labor participation gap since the 1950s.
• The decline is driven by college-educated women with young children, whose participation rate fell by 2.30% between late 2023 and August 2025.
• In contrast, the participation rate for college-educated men with young children rose by 0.31% during the same period.

Analysis of Contributing Factors and SDG Linkages

The decline in female labor participation is not attributable to a single cause but rather a confluence of structural and societal failures that directly contravene the principles of the SDGs.

1. Erosion of Workplace Flexibility: The widespread corporate mandate for employees to return to physical offices has dismantled the flexible and hybrid work arrangements that gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reversion disproportionately penalizes women, who continue to shoulder the majority of caregiving responsibilities. This lack of flexibility creates a direct barrier to achieving SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by limiting women’s ability to participate fully in the workforce.
2. Systemic Childcare Deficiencies: The United States’ childcare infrastructure is inadequate to support working families, undermining progress on multiple SDGs.
   • Cost: Childcare costs have risen at twice the rate of inflation, often consuming 20-30% of household income, making employment economically unviable for some mothers.
   • Accessibility: A shortage of childcare workers, partly linked to immigration policies, has reduced the availability of care.
   • Policy Gaps: The absence of federally guaranteed paid parental leave and subsidized childcare places the U.S. at odds with other developed nations and fails to support the principles of SDG 5 (Target 5.4), which calls for the recognition and valuation of unpaid care work, and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), which requires inclusive community infrastructure.
3. Hostile Professional Environments and Cultural Backlash: Reports indicate a growing hostility towards professional women and a rollback of supportive workplace policies. This trend fosters an environment that discourages female ambition and contravenes SDG 5 by reinforcing discriminatory social norms and impeding equal opportunities for leadership. It also exacerbates conditions targeted by SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
4. Unequal Distribution of Unpaid Care and Domestic Work: The fundamental driver of these challenges is the persistent imbalance in domestic responsibilities. A 2023 American Bar Association study found that 65% of mothers arranged for childcare, compared to only 7% of fathers. This stark disparity is a clear failure to meet SDG 5 (Target 5.4), which advocates for the promotion of shared responsibility within the household as a prerequisite for women’s economic empowerment.

Long-Term Implications for Sustainable Development

The continued exodus of women from the workforce has severe and lasting consequences for national progress on the SDGs.

• Impediment to Economic Growth (SDG 8): A reduction in the female labor supply constrains overall economic productivity and growth potential.
• Widening Gender Inequality (SDG 5 & SDG 10): Women who take career breaks face significant long-term earnings penalties, exacerbating the gender pay gap. This trend also threatens to deepen the underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles, directly undermining SDG 5 (Target 5.5).
• Devaluation of Human Capital (SDG 4): When highly educated women are unable to participate in the workforce, it represents a substantial loss on the investment in their education, hindering the objective of SDG 4 (Quality Education) to ensure education translates into equal and sustained opportunities.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article’s central theme is the decline in women’s participation in the American workforce, highlighting a significant setback for gender equality. It discusses the systemic barriers women face, such as the unequal burden of childcare, lack of supportive policies, and workplace hostility, all of which are core issues under SDG 5. The text explicitly points to the widening “male-female participation gap,” which directly relates to achieving equality between genders in the economic sphere.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article addresses SDG 8 by focusing on labor force participation, working conditions, and economic outcomes. The discussion about women “dropping out of the job market” relates to the goal of achieving full and productive employment. Furthermore, the emphasis on the lack of flexible work arrangements (hybrid/remote work) and the negative long-term impact on women’s earnings (“it won’t help with their earnings”) touches upon the principles of decent work and equal pay for work of equal value.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • This goal is relevant as the article describes a growing inequality between men and women in the workforce. The data showing that the participation rate for college-educated men with children is rising while it is falling for their female counterparts illustrates a widening economic gap. The article also points to policy failures, such as the absence of federally guaranteed paid leave and state-sponsored childcare, which are social protection policies meant to reduce inequality.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
   • Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household. The article directly addresses this target by highlighting the stark imbalance in childcare responsibilities, citing that “65% of mothers vs. only 7% of fathers arranged for childcare.” It also criticizes the lack of public services and social protection policies, noting the U.S. provides “no federally guaranteed paid leave for new parents” and that state-sponsored childcare is regarded as a “socialist fantasy.”
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic and public life. The core issue of the article—over 600,000 women leaving the job market—is a direct contradiction to this target. The text also mentions that this trend means “women will continue to be underrepresented in equity partner ranks and positions of leadership,” specifically pointing to a lack of equal opportunities for leadership roles.
2. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article’s data on declining female labor participation shows a move away from “full and productive employment” for women. The discussion on the lack of flexibility and the “hostility” faced by professional women relates to the quality of “decent work.” The warning that returning to the workforce after a hiatus “won’t help with their earnings” points to the challenge of achieving equal pay and economic value over a lifetime.
3. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality. The article critiques the absence of key social protection policies in the U.S. compared to other developed countries. It explicitly mentions the lack of “federally guaranteed paid leave” and “government subsidized childcare,” identifying these policy gaps as major contributors to the inequality driving women from the workforce.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Labor Force Participation Rate by Sex
   • The article provides explicit data for this indicator. It states that the women’s labor force participation rate dropped “from a participation rate of 57.7% in 2024 to 56.9% this year.” It also contrasts the participation rates of college-educated parents, noting a 2.30% drop for women versus a 0.31% rise for men, which allows for measuring the gender gap.
2. Proportion of Time Spent on Unpaid Domestic and Care Work
   • While not measuring time directly, the article provides a clear proxy indicator for the unequal burden of care. The statistic from the 2023 ABA study that “65% of mothers vs. only 7% of fathers arranged for childcare” serves as a powerful measure of the disparity in unpaid care responsibilities.
3. Cost of Childcare
   • The article implies an indicator related to the affordability of essential services. It states that “parents often spending 20–30% of their income on childcare alone” and that prices for daycare have “increased roughly twice as fast as overall inflation.” This measures the economic burden of childcare, a key barrier to women’s employment.
4. Existence of Social Protection Policies
   • The article uses the existence (or lack thereof) of specific policies as an indicator. It explicitly states, “The United States stands alone among developed countries in providing no federally guaranteed paid leave for new parents.” This binary measure (yes/no) indicates the level of social protection available to working mothers.
5. Proportion of Women in Leadership Positions
   • This indicator is implied in the article’s conclusion about the long-term consequences of women leaving the workforce. The statement that “women will continue to be underrepresented in equity partner ranks and positions of leadership” suggests that this proportion is a key metric for tracking women’s advancement and opportunities in the professional world.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: viviachen.substack.com