Women Are Stuck At Work — And Not Leaving

Mar 20
3 min read

Women aren’t leaving their jobs. But they’re not thriving either.

Quick Personal Note: Still easing back after last week’s ER visit... It’s funny how life forces a reset sometimes. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, expect the regularly scheduled Chart of the Week videos to resume next week! In the meantime, thank you for reading!

Let’s dive in:

Today, we address four important questions:

Are women truly satisfied at work, or just stable?
How do experiences differ across subgroups?
Why aren’t women leaving, even when satisfaction is lower?
What will it take to create workplaces women actually choose?

Women Are Less Likely to Be Thriving at Work

Last week, we looked at how women are reevaluating what is “worth it” when it comes to spending. This week, we’re seeing that same reevaluation show up at work.

Across all of 2025, women are less likely than men to say they are “extremely satisfied” with their jobs:

Men: 26%
Women: 23%

Instead, women are more likely to land in the middle, reporting “somewhat satisfied” at a higher rate:

Men: 28%
Women: 32%

At first glance, the differences may seem small. But across a full year of data, this pattern is consistent and meaningful.

Women aren’t dramatically opting out of work. But they are less likely to be fully bought in.

They're sitting right in the middle... and the middle is where momentum stalls!

Not All Women Experience Work the Same Way

When we break this down further, the differences become more pronounced.

Asian women are:

The least likely to report “extremely satisfied” (5/5)
The most likely to fall into “somewhat satisfied” (3/5)

The middle zone is even more concentrated here.

Hispanic/Latina women, on the other hand:

Are the most likely to report 5/5 satisfaction
And the least likely to fall into the middle

For some, the gap between stability and fulfillment is much wider and much harder to close.

The Paradox: Lower Satisfaction… But Less Movement

Here’s where the story takes a turn. Despite being less satisfied overall, women are less likely than men to be actively looking for a new job.

From my latest March data:

20% of employed men say they are actively looking
13% of employed women say the same

At first glance, that doesn’t make sense... until you look at what’s driving it.

49% of women say they stay for salary and wages, 8 points higher than men.

This points to something deeper:

Women aren’t just evaluating whether they’re happy. They’re weighing stability, financial security, and risk.

Women leave because they believe that the new company will offer more satisfaction and fulfillment than their previous one.

When Women Do Leave, It’s for a Different Reason

When we look at why people choose a new job, the differences become even clearer. Men and women optimize differently for what they are looking for.

When men switch companies, they are more likely to cite:

Career advancement/promotion opportunities (20% vs. 12% of women)
Company reputation (23% vs. 13% of women)
A manager who has their back (17% vs. 9% of women)

Women, on the other hand, are more likely to switch for one core reason:

They believe that the new company will offer more satisfaction and fulfillment than their previous one.

Men: 22%
Women: 27%

So What, Now What?

Women are optimizing for “worth it.” That’s the through-line. Not just at work. Not just in spending. But across everything we’ve seen these past few weeks.

And “worth it” is shifting.

Not just:

More money
More status

But:

More meaning
A better, more joyful day-to-day experience
A role that gives back as much as it takes

Here’s the reality:

Women aren’t staying because everything is working. They’re staying because leaving doesn’t yet feel safe enough.

If companies want to win, the goal isn’t just to reduce dissatisfaction.

It’s to increase satisfaction. To move people out of the middle and into “extremely satisfied.”

That means:

Designing roles that feel energizing, not draining
Creating clearer paths to higher-paying opportunities
Reducing the perceived risk of change, internally and externally
Making fulfillment a real, measurable outcome

Because in the end, this is the question that matters:

Are the women on your team staying because they love working there…or because it feels like the safest option?

Those are two very different positions. And they lead to two very different outcomes

I’d love to hear your thoughts. See you next week!

🎤 🎥 Watch the latest episode of my podcast, The Business of Joy: Built by 1,000 Touchpoints: How Great Restaurants Actually Create Value (with Robin Blanchette)