Full Breakdown
Women Outpace Men in U.S. Employment for Eight Consecutive Months
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Core Event – Gender Shift in Payroll Growth
Federal employment data show that women have held more U.S. jobs than men for eight straight months, the longest such period in over fifteen years. In September, nonfarm payrolls rose by 29,000 jobs; men accounted for just over half of that increase, while women contributed the remainder. The prior month, August, saw men represent only about 2 % of net payroll growth, highlighting the volatility of monthly figures.
Background & Context – Industry Mix Driving the Gap
The divergence stems largely from sectoral dynamics. Health-care, where roughly four-fifths of workers are women, has been the leading engine of job creation for several years and supplied more than half of September’s payroll expansion. Construction added 11,000 net jobs, driven by growth among non-residential specialty trade contractors building data-center infrastructure. Conversely, traditionally male-dominant fields such as mining, manufacturing, and transportation have expanded more slowly, with the latter two shedding 125,000 jobs since late 2024.
Data & Statistics – Recent Labor-Market Numbers
- Seasonal-adjusted employment of men was about 1.2 million lower in September than a year earlier, while women’s employment rose by more than 650,000 over the same period.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job openings slipped to just under 7.1 million in August, down from a revised 7.34 million in July.
- Initial jobless claims were historically low during the week ending September 26, at 197,000, and the four-week moving average fell to 200,000.
Official Statements & Responses – Policy Outlook
Michael Baker, care-policy director at American Action Forum, emphasized that “private health care and social assistance will add 2.2 million jobs between 2025 and 2035, more than any other major industry and roughly 37 percent of all projected U.S. job growth.” He noted that home-health and personal-care aide roles—where women comprise 86 % and 80 % of the workforce, respectively—are central to this expansion and unlikely to be resolved by simple policy fixes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Private health care and social assistance will add 2.2 million jobs between 2025 and 2035, more than any other major industry and roughly 37 percent of all projected U.S. job growth.” — Michael Baker, care policy director
- “Back then, the gap emerged because men were losing jobs,” — Cory Stahle, senior economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, referring to the 2010 episode