Eileen Patterson, 39, a mom of two children and a part-time recruiter at a Manhattan staffing agency, decided to quit her job in June.

Faced with an increasingly difficult labor market, the Massapequa Park resident, who was partly paid based on commission, said the cost of childcare at $500 per week started to outpace her salary.

So, she decided to forego the office to look after her 2- and 4-year-olds even though she loved working with her team.

"My husband and I really started to look at things and say, 'Is this all worth it?'" Patterson said.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

Rapidly rising costs for child care and stricter return-to-office policies are pushing more mothers with young children out of the workforce, leading to a drop in women labor participation after record highs in recent

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