Caregiving Burdens Push Mid-Career Women From Leadership Roles

Caregiving strain, not ambition, drives mid-career women from leadership roles.

A 2025 national survey of 690 U.S. employees found caregiving burdens to be a leading factor associated with burnout and workforce exit, especially for mid-level women. This structural tension highlights caregiving as an important factor influencing women’s experiences in leadership roles.

The research identifies caregiver strain as the cognitive, emotional, and logistical burden of coordinating care for dependents, which persists continuously beyond work hours. Women reported long-term unpaid caregiving responsibilities at a higher rate than men (83% versus 72%). Mid-level roles demand sustained visibility and high performance, intensifying the conflict when caregiving responsibilities escalate during mid-career. Despite its impact, caregiving is often treated as a private matter rather than a workplace concern.

While the study stops short of prescribing solutions, it underscores an ongoing structural squeeze between workplace expectations and caregiving demands.

Although this research focuses on the United States broadly, Montana’s rugged geography and dispersed communities could amplify caregiving challenges due to limited local resources. Employers and policymakers in Montana might consider these findings relevant when exploring workforce participation and retention challenges among mid-career women balancing leadership roles and caregiving duties.

Women aren’t opting out of work. Workplaces are pushing them out

By Krystal Duarte, Fast Company