Women Surpass Men in U.S. Workforce: A Historic Third Time
For the third time in American history, women have surpassed men in holding more payroll jobs in the United States. Economists suggest this shift could be permanent.
In early 2026, women overtook men in total U.S. employment, as per a new analysis from Indeed’s Hiring Lab. The report, authored by former Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond economist Laura Ullrich, indicates a structural shift rather than a cyclical one. “It definitely doesn’t, to me, seem like the change has been driven by a recessionary period,” Ullrich shared with Fortune magazine.
The data paints a compelling picture:
- Over the past 12 months, jobs held by men fell by a net 142,000.
- Women, on the other hand, gained 298,000 positions.
- Of the 1.2 million jobs added between February 2024 and February 2026, two-thirds were secured by women.
Much of this growth is concentrated in healthcare and social assistance—a sector that is nearly 79% female. Meanwhile, traditionally male-dominated industries like construction and manufacturing continue to contract.
The male labor force participation rate has seen a significant drop of nearly 20 percentage points since tracking began in 1948. It now stands at 67.2%, while the female rate has climbed from 32% to 57.2% over the same period. This rise of the so-called “stay-at-home boyfriend” is reshaping household economics across America.
Source: Fortune – For the third time in history, women outnumber men in the workforce