Top five job non-negotiables for women who recently left the workforce

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By  Sheila Brassel, PhD

4 min read

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Executive summary

2025 was a year of churn for women in the US workforce. Many were forced out by RIFs in the private and public sectors while others left voluntarily because of caregiving responsibilities, inflexible schedules, and low pay.1 In many industries, companies were slow to hire because of economic uncertainty and increasing reliance on AI.2 Ultimately, in the weakest year of job growth since 2003, for every three jobs men gained, women only gained one.3

The loss of women in the workforce is harmful to women and employers, who can’t be fully successful without half the talent pipeline. To learn what organizations need to do to bring women back, we surveyed women who recently left the workforce either voluntarily or through layoffs.4 We found that what women want is for employers to recognize them as people with basic human needs and lives outside of work. The top five non-negotiables listed below point to actionable solutions that can accelerate progress for women and businesses.

How to cite: Brassel, S. (2026). Top five job non-negotiables for women who recently left the workforce. Catalyst.

Top five non-negotiables for women who recently left the workforce

1. Flexible work schedule (52%)

Women who recently left the workforce are more likely to have been employed by organizations that did not offer flexible work options (37%) compared to full-time employed women (22%).5

Why it matters: Women are walking out of organizations that lack flex schedule options.

2. Living wage (48%)

Women are 5x more likely than men to live paycheck to paycheck.6

Why it matters: Providing a living wage is essential for closing the gender pay gap.7

3. Job security (37%)

Women’s careers may be particularly prone to instability within the context of mass reductions in force,8 adoption of AI9, and disparities in layoffs relative to men.10

Why it matters: A pervasive fear of layoffs can stymie women’s careers.11

4. Positive organizational culture (31%)

Unemployed women are willing to turn down job opportunities in toxic work environments.

Why it matters: A workplace characterized by respect, trust, transparency, and collaboration can boost recruitment and retention efforts.12

5. Health insurance coverage (30%)

Women often face higher healthcare costs and disproportionate medical financial burden compared to men.13

Why it matters: Employers who provide affordable health insurance plans can make a real difference in people’s lives — and their desire to join or stay at an organization.

Take action

  • Build trust: Show existing and potential employees that your organization has policies and practices that acknowledge them as full human beings with unique life circumstances.
  • Establish flexible working arrangements: Recognize the power of workplace flexibility for recruiting and retaining talent — benefitting your employees as well as the bottom line.
  • Foster an inclusive working environment: Ensure your workplace leadership and team practices promote inclusion.
    • Equip your first-line managers and rising leaders to lead inclusive, diverse workplaces with our workshops.

Endnotes

  1. Caregiving pressures top factor pushing women out of the workforce, Catalyst finds. (2026, January 29). Catalyst.
  2. Sherman, E. (2026, January 1). Employers freeze hiring as AI, uncertainty shape 2026 labor market. GlobeSt.
  3. Hinchliffe, E. (2026, January 9). Men joined the labor force at three times the rate of women in 2025. Fortune.
  4. These data were collected from October 29 - November 14, 2025, as part of a broader survey of 1,029 US adults ages 18 and older. The results focus on the subset of n = 206 women who had left the workforce since January 1, 2025.
  5. Caregiving pressures top factor pushing women out of the workforce, Catalyst finds. (2026, January 29). Catalyst.
  6. Leonhardt, M. (2019, October 14). Women live paycheck to paycheck roughly 5 times as often as men – here’s why. CNBC.
  7. Butler, F. & Giloth, E. (2024, March 8). Closing the gender gap: Addressing wage inequality. BSR.
  8. 2025 year-end Challenger Report: Highest Q4 layoffs since 2008; Lowest YTD hiring since 2010. (2026, January 8). Challenger, Gray, & Christmas.
  9. Cunningham, M. (2026, January 29). AI poses bigger threat in jobs with more women, study finds. CBS News.
  10. Corbett, H. (2026, January 30). Women made up nearly all the job losses last month. Here’s why. Forbes.
  11. How do layoffs disproportionately affect women in tech compared to their male counterparts? (n.d.) Women Tech Network.
  12. The impact of workplace culture on recruitment and retention. (n.d.) West Virginia Women Work.
  13. Edmond, C. (2023, October 18). US women are paying billions more for healthcare than men every year. World Economic Forum.