Despite the ever-increasing numbers of women attending college and advancing their careers year over year, the numbers still reflect a pattern of women who are underpaid or underutilized in the workforce. Although the reasons for this differ from case to case, there is nevertheless one large contributing factor that is a reoccurring issue, particularly for working women: the role of caregiver.

In 2023, 56% of full-time female workers were also shouldering the majority of caregiving responsibilities outside of work. Women spend up to 50% more time than men on caregiving tasks such as managing medical treatments, handling household duties, and providing personal care. These responsibilities are often regular, ongoing, and time-consuming, averaging 27 hours per week, or the equivalent of part-time employment.

In addition, caregiving demands are usually inflexible, making it more difficult for women to balance work and family obligations, creating greater employment barriers than those typically faced by men. In some cases, these pressures lead women to leave the workforce entirely.

As care needs steadily increase across communities, the demand for caregivers is expected to grow. That’s why it’s more important than ever to retain women in the workforce by implementing solutions that help reduce turnover.

Fast Facts

Women in the workforce take on more caregiving responsibilities outside the workplace than men do.
When women work in inflexible and precarious jobs, caring for others outside of work becomes even more challenging.
Balancing caregiving responsibilities with job responsibilities can lead to caregiver burnout, leading many women to leave the workforce altogether.
When women leave the workforce, they face financial consequences such as lost income, limited career growth, reduced retirement savings, and weakened long-term security.
Employers are also affected, incurring costs related to turnover, recruitment, and training, along with the loss of experienced talent and institutional knowledge.
To help retain women in the workforce, organizations need to provide better support, such as caregiving benefits through companies like Homethrive.

The Background of Female-Dominated Workforces

Care occupations that women typically work have historically been undervalued. Eighty percent of women in roles like teaching, caring for children, cleaning, and providing elder care earn only $11.30 hourly, resulting in 40% of them living in or near poverty.

Female-dominated professions continue to cluster around core care occupations such as childcare and nursing, where women represent 97% and 78% of the workforce, respectively. Related fields, including residential care and private household employment, are also predominantly staffed by women, with domestic cleaners and helpers representing a 97% female-dominated workforce. These roles often share many of the characteristics associated with other “pink-collar” jobs, including lower wages and limited advancement compared with male-dominated industries.

Besides being low-paying, these positions often lack benefits such as paid sick days, health insurance, and dental coverage, and they don’t qualify for employment insurance. Even when they do, the job’s often precarious working arrangement makes women ineligible for benefits due to a shortage of hours.

The non-standard work arrangements of temporary, part-time, or “precarious” work (of which females experience more than males) are typically inflexible, too. This arrangement makes it more challenging for women to balance caregiving responsibilities with employment.

According to Forbes, female-dominated occupations are those in which women fill 60 percent or more of the jobs, and they’re growing faster than other occupations. While this may sound like good news, it highlights a concerning reality: more women are likely to be concentrated in lower-paying, limited-growth roles while continuing to shoulder significant caregiving responsibilities.

The Impact of Caregiver Burnout At Work

Trying to balance caregiving responsibilities with a career is never easy, but it’s even more difficult for working women who shoulder most of those responsibilities.

Additionally, the responsibilities required of them as caregivers generally involve more emotional support compared to their male counterparts, leading to higher reports of stress. This stress can easily carry over into the workplace, making it difficult to concentrate or to complete work efficiently and effectively.

Because women caregivers work in jobs with little flexibility, balancing their professional responsibilities with the demands of caregiving can quickly become overwhelming, leading to burnout at work.

It’s unsurprising, then, that for many female workers, it can all simply become too much, leading them to make drastic financial decisions. Women caregivers are more likely to reduce hours, take compassionate care leave, lose out on promotions, miss work, retire early, or leave their jobs altogether.

The financial impacts on an employee of caregiver burnout at work

Caregiver burnout describes a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion experienced by someone caring for another person. The individual may feel tired, stressed, withdrawn, anxious, and depressed, leading to various physical, psychological, financial, and social impacts.

Among these challenges, the financial toll is often one of the most significant. According to RBC Wealth Management–U.S., female caregivers dedicate an average of 86 hours per month to caregiving responsibilities, compared to 75 hours for men. To accommodate these demands, more women than men report adjusting their work patterns:

Nine percent moved from full-time to part-time
Seven percent took an indefinite leave of absence
Sixteen percent say they took early retirement

Even among those who haven’t formally changed their working hours, nearly one-third report leaving work early to fulfill caregiving duties.

Adjusting their working patterns for caregiving not only perpetuates financial strain and limits savings but also creates long-term ramifications for a woman’s financial security. Those who reduce their working hours are impacted by $22,000 annually, whereas those who stop working lose out on almost $50,000 yearly. On average, female caregivers earn approximately $35,000 less per year due to their caregiving responsibilities, while also facing significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Almost half of caregivers experience at least one financial impact from caregiving, including taking on debt or leaving bills unpaid. If they earn less than $50,000 annually, they’ll experience multiple financial impacts.

Caregivers often experience the diminished ability to save too, with almost 30% unable to save anything. An additional 12% use up their long-term savings. Retirement savings are also affected, with women caregivers seeing $40,000 less in total retirement savings.

As a result, fewer female caregivers than men (47% compared to 56%) report feeling confident about their financial situation.

The financial impacts on an employer of caregiver burnout at work

As caregiving demands intensify, many women find themselves constantly navigating competing priorities, often sacrificing their own well-being or career stability to meet the needs of those they care for. In some cases, the high levels of physical, mental, and financial stress eventually make it impossible to remain employed.

When a female worker who is also a family caregiver leaves the workforce, the decision has a significant impact on her and creates a ripple effect for the employer.

Companies are often forced to launch new hiring campaigns, invest time and money into recruiting qualified candidates, and complete costly onboarding and training processes to bring new employees up to speed.

The more experienced the employee, the more expensive they are to replace. Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their salary, depending on their level. At the same time, the loss puts a company at risk of reduced productivity, lower morale, and lower profits.

How Caregiver Strain Influences Resignation Decisions

For women, the decision to leave the workforce isn’t taken lightly. Yet when the pressure of balancing full-time work with ongoing caregiving responsibilities becomes unsustainable, stepping away from employment may feel like the only viable option.

In fact, 42% of women who voluntarily exited the workforce in 2025 cited caregiving responsibilities as the reason. Research from Catalyst also found that structural factors, like inflexible work schedules, limited access to affordable childcare, and lower wages, continue to influence women’s decisions about whether they can remain in or return to the workforce.

Without meaningful workplace support and broader systemic solutions, many caregivers will continue to face difficult choices between earning an income and caring for their loved ones.

How to Retain Women in the Workforce

Clearly, supporting and retaining women in the workforce must be a priority for employers, and the following strategies can help.

Provide schedule flexibility

As a female employee who is also a caregiver, everyday tasks essential to supporting a loved one must often be completed around rigid work schedules. These can include coordinating care, managing medications, preparing meals, or assisting with personal needs.

Even something as routine as taking a loved one to a medical appointment can become extremely difficult. Most appointments take place during regular business hours, when many workers are expected to be on the job with limited ability to step away.

For female caregivers without flexible schedules, paid leave, or supportive workplace policies, attending these appointments may mean using vacation days, taking unpaid time off, or scrambling to find someone else who can help.

By offering flexible work schedules, employers can significantly ease the burden on female workers balancing caregiving responsibilities with their professional roles. Flexible arrangements, such as adjusted start and end times, compressed workweeks, hybrid options, or occasional remote work, allow caregivers to manage essential tasks like medical appointments, school pickups, and care coordination without constantly having to choose between their job and family obligations.

Even minor scheduling adjustments, such as shifting hours when needed, can help reduce stress and help caregivers stay engaged and productive in the workplace.

Provide opportunities for career growth

Providing meaningful opportunities for women to grow and advance in their careers can create a strong incentive for them to remain in the workforce, even while balancing caregiving responsibilities at home. When employees see a clear path for professional development and feel their contributions are recognized and valued, they’re more likely to stay engaged and committed to their roles.

Organizations can support this by regularly reviewing compensation structures, conducting pay equity audits, and ensuring women have equal access to promotions, leadership opportunities, and skill development. These efforts help foster a workplace culture where women feel fairly compensated and confident that their career progression is taken seriously.

Career growth opportunities can also be supported through mentorship programs, leadership training, and clearly defined career road maps that help women build new skills and prepare for advancement. By pairing employees with mentors or providing structured development plans, employers can empower women to continue progressing professionally while navigating the realities of caregiving responsibilities outside of work.

Provide supportive resources

Research shows that caregiver support programs have a significant, positive impact on caregivers, including fewer depressive symptoms, lower financial stress, and decreased family-to-work conflict. Caregivers feel more confident completing tasks at home and perceive a lower level of caregiving burden, leading to better performance and focus in the workplace.

Caregiver support solutions, like those offered by Homethrive, are an effective way to help address caregiver needs. By implementing these benefits, employees receive meaningful, ongoing engagement that supports them during periods of caregiving. And as a result, organizations experience a proven impact, including:

29% of caregivers that say they have spent less time away from work
80% decrease in caregiving employees considering early retirement
55% activation of additional benefits
98.5% client retention

Fortunately, caregiver strain and the resulting loss of female employees from the workforce isn’t inevitable. By implementing thoughtful retention strategies, such as caregiving benefits, organizations can better support women in balancing their careers with caregiving responsibilities. Ultimately, the right workplace supports can make a meaningful difference. And this transformation isn’t only in employee retention, but also in a family’s ability to manage their care needs effectively.

By partnering with Homethrive, you can help employees reclaim valuable time and energy to focus on their work, families, and personal well-being.

Why It’s Hard to Retain Women in the Workforce