Why New Jersey moms are leaving the workforce in record numbers

I couldn’t stop thinking about the Catalyst data I read this week — upwards of 455,000 women exited the U.S. workforce in 2025. The survey makes clear it isn’t because women lack ambition or hustle; it’s because the everyday realities of caregiving — childcare, school schedules, aging parents — make holding down a job nearly impossible when support systems break.

Women leaving the workforce amid a national caregiving crisis

Living in New Jersey puts that into sharp focus. Our state’s child care costs are famously high — families can pay well over 10–15% of their income on center-based care for a toddler, and sometimes even more if you’re a single parent. For many moms, having a child in daycare is like carrying around a second mortgage payment. I’ve talked to families paying thirty-thousand dollars a year for infant care — a number that makes people wince because it has to be budgeted just like rent or a car lease.

New Jersey childcare costs feel like a second mortgage

And when quality care costs a fortune or isn’t even available? Well, that’s when decisions get painful. In New Jersey, childcare slots are still scarce in many communities, and the pandemic made childcare staffing shortages worse. To add insult to injury, the state’s Child Care Assistance Program — meant to help working families pay those bills — struggled with funding cuts and enrollment freezes, leaving parents without the help they need right when they needed it most.

When childcare assistance falls short, families pay the price

Maybe your family has felt this squeeze too. In my circle of friends and neighbors, I see it all the time: moms juggling Zoom calls and math homework at the kitchen table, dads helping wherever they can, but so much of the day-to-day care and coordination somehow landing on the moms of little ones. Whether it’s shuttling kids to soccer in Clifton, ballet in Morristown, or finding a last-minute sitter for a doctor’s appointment — the load is relentless. And throw aging parents into the mix — scheduling their appointments, driving them around, making sure they’re fed and safe — and it’s clear why many women feel they have to choose family over career.

Even in families with multiple siblings, I’ve noticed a pattern: if there’s a daughter in the mix, she often becomes the point person for aging parents’ care. That role doesn’t come with a paycheck, but it sure takes time and energy. No wonder so many women feel like everyday wonder women — because they really are. They hold the emotional labor and logistical chaos together while trying to keep careers afloat.

The invisible labor pushing New Jersey women out of work

And the Catalyst data backs up what we’ve all seen personally: women aren’t leaving because they want a break from work. They’re leaving because work and caregiving are structured in ways that make continuing in both roles unsustainable.

So when you hear about hundreds of thousands of women leaving the workforce — especially in high-cost, caregiving-stressed states like New Jersey — please know this: it’s not a lack of drive. It’s a system that hasn’t caught up with the realities of raising kids and caring for loved ones, and for many families, that choice isn’t a choice at all.