The latest national jobs numbers should concern every economic leader in America—not simply because women are losing jobs, but because they reveal something deeper about whose economic contributions we value.
In July, the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs. Women accounted for ALL of the net job losses, losing 32,000 jobs while men gained 9,000. Even more striking, 165,000 women ages 20 and older left the labor force altogether. Since January, roughly 845,000 women have left the labor force, compared with 406,000 men.
The July 2026 workforce decline disproportionately impacted women of color, with severe job losses in leisure, hospitality, and local government. This downturn is driven by rising childcare costs and a lack of financial safety nets, following a period where women’s labor force participation had peaked in 1999 and subsequently fluctuated due to pandemic impacts and shifting remote work flexibility. (For more data on the impact of the economic agenda on women, see the research from the National Women’s Law Center.)
These numbers are not simply another monthly economic fluctuation. They are a warning — one that should deeply trouble us all.
When women leave the workforce, the consequences ripple far beyond individual households. Families lose income. Businesses lose talent. Communities lose consumers, taxpayers, entrepreneurs and leaders. And when women—who make up roughly half of the workforce—are pushed to the sidelines, our national economic capacity shrinks.
This matters particularly in California and in the Monterey Bay region.
Our regional economy depends heavily on industries where women play essential roles: health care, education, hospitality, tourism, government, administration and human services. In Monterey County, for example, health and educational services and leisure and hospitality represent significant portions of employment. Santa Cruz County’s largest industry clusters include education, tourism and hospitality, health care, retail, and agriculture and food.
Yet these are too often the jobs we undervalue.
We celebrate the construction project, but overlook the woman managing the household while her partner works on the project. We celebrate the technology company, but undervalue the teacher preparing the next generation of workers. We measure productivity while ignoring the unpaid caregiving that makes paid employment possible. We praise entrepreneurship while failing to recognize the women running small businesses, farms, nonprofits and community organizations.
As I wrote earlier this year, our economic systems too often reward what has traditionally been coded as “men’s work” while treating women’s work as supplemental—even when it is indispensable.
That mindset is economically irrational.
The Monterey Bay region cannot afford to lose women from our workforce. We already face housing shortages, high costs of living, workforce constraints and employers struggling to attract and retain talent. Santa Cruz County, for example, is confronting persistent workforce shortages in many of the essential industries—health care, education, hospitality and human services—where women are a critical part of the workforce.
The answer is not simply telling women to work harder or return to work. It is building an economy in which women can participate and succeed.
That means attainable housing. Affordable child care. Paid family leave. Flexible work. Equal pay. Career pathways into higher-wage industries. Investments in women entrepreneurs. And workplaces that value caregiving rather than penalize it.
Most importantly, it means changing how we define economic contribution.
Women are not a secondary workforce. Women are an economic engine.
If America wants sustained growth, California wants greater competitiveness, and the Monterey Bay region wants a resilient future, we cannot afford to leave half of our talent on the sidelines.
The question is no longer whether women contribute to our economy. The data make that undeniable.
The question is whether we are finally willing to build an economy that recognizes, rewards and invests in those contributions.
Our economic future depends on the answer.
Tahra Goraya is President & CEO of Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP). She has spent the past two decades working on numerous issues to forge solutions and lead change. Known as a bridge builder, she is an experienced leader who has worked on diverse issue areas across multiple sectors, including nonprofit management, business, and government.
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.