A woman works on GM truck engine on the assembly line of the General Motors Flint Assembly Plant.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

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Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

For decades, one of the most reliable trends in the American economy has been the growing number of women working.

But lately, government data shows women’s participation in the labor force has been falling.

What’s behind this trend – and what does it tell us about the state of the US economy?

This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna and Robert Rodriguez. 

It was edited by Sarah Handel and Tinbete Ermyas. Our director is Alejandra Marquez Janse.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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