2 days ago
Successful women are quitting their jobs. Why?
The latest jobs data from the United States government shows that between January and July 2025, 212,000 women left the workforce at the same time that 44,000 men entered it.
As with all economic data, there's likely more than one reason why the trendlines of women quitting and men being hired are diverging. The data caught my eye because it comes at a time when increasing numbers of women in high-performing, white-collar jobs report that they're reconsidering their relationships to their careers.
In a recent piece for the New York Times, writer Issie Lapowsky unpacked what some are calling "the power pause". After years of leaning in and pursuing career growth, an emerging slice of college-educated women are either going part time or quitting their jobs entirely.
Choosing not to work is obviously a decision that is not financially viable for many (if not most) people. And while more data is needed to show just how substantive this trend is, it aligns with what numerous surveys have shown in recent years: the number of women thinking about leaving their job or reducing their hours has grown since Covid-19.
I called up Issie to ask her more about what many of these women have told her about why they're leaving work – and what impact this trend may have on women's advancement in the workplace.
