According to data from the Federal Reserve, cited by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation in recent legislative testimony, the labor force in Massachusetts in August had 143,840 fewer workers than pre-pandemic, a decline of 3.9 percent. While the reason for the drop in Massachusetts is not documented, national data indicate that 80 percent of those leaving the workforce during the pandemic are women. “This suggests that the growing child care crisis is forcing mothers to stop working or seek(ing) employment,” the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation said.