THE dearth of child care is proving to be a major hurdle to women reentering the U.S. labor market.

The number of women on payrolls last month fell for the first time since the winter coronavirus surge in December 2020, and the drop was even more pronounced for those age 25 to 44, who are more likely to have to school-age children. The decline was a major driver behind a slowdown in overall job growth in the country.

The jobs report released Friday came as a surprise because many anticipated that the return to school would alleviate the child care burden, which mostly falls on mothers. The data suggest that uncertainty around the coronavirus delta variant, which has led to quarantines and a partial return to virtual learning in some cases, will continue to keep parents from seeking a job.

“Child care issues are far from resolved,” said Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co., whose own child is home serving a two-week quarantine. “Parents, particularly women, are slow to return to the workforce.”

For younger children, many daycare centers have remained closed or lack staff, providing even fewer options for working parents.

September payrolls especially declined in health-care services and education, sectors that largely employ women, data from the U.S. Labor Department show.

The percentage of female workers over 20 who were employed or looking for work dropped to the lowest since February. Another factor of the nationwide shortfall in job growth was adult Black men leaving the labor market: Their participation rate also fell to the lowest in seven months -- while White and Hispanic men’s participation increased.

White, Black and Hispanic women all saw declines in participation rates. (SD-Agencies)