The Indicator from Planet Money Why moms are leaving their paid jobs
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Sep 5, 2025 Moms are leaving their jobs for various reasons, from return-to-office mandates to a desire for more family time. Personal stories reveal a trend of prioritizing early childhood over careers. The podcast dives into the struggles faced by working mothers, particularly Black mothers, as they navigate balancing work and family amid economic pressures. Expert insights shed light on the declining workforce participation rates among mothers. The narrative highlights the impact of these choices on both families and the labor market.
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Mom Quits Tech To Prioritize Preschool Years
- Nicole Damstetter quit her tech job to spend more time with her preschool daughter and intentionally prioritized parenting over career work.
- She marked the change with a countdown calendar and shifted from "deep work" to "deep play."
Pandemic Flexibility Drove Earlier Gains
- Labor force participation for mothers (ages 25–44 with kids under five) rose during the pandemic then dipped from ~70% to 67% in early 2025.
- Misty Heggeness links the earlier rise to remote/flexible work and the recent drop to reversals in those conditions.
Switching To Part-Time For Family Flexibility
- Ivy Abid moved from a full-time role at Chicago Public Schools to part-time community college teaching to gain needed flexibility for her child and her mother.
- The change gave her time to care for family but reduced her income significantly.