July payrolls fell by 23,000, with women accounting for all net job losses after losing 32,000 positions while men gained 9,000.
165,000 women age 20 and older also left the labor force in July, extending a broader retreat that has seen about 845,000 women exit since January versus 406,000 men.
The report argues the drop reflects more than a monthly fluctuation, tying it to weak support for caregiving, child care, housing and paid leave that can push women out of paid work.
That pullback carries wider economic costs beyond households, reducing available talent, consumer spending and tax capacity in sectors such as health care, education, hospitality and government.