Women accounted for virtually all net job gains in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a trend that accelerated sharply in the latest employment report.
Women Drive Nearly All U.S. Job Growth in August
The August payrolls rose 162,000, far above the 31,000 average monthly increase seen in the prior year, with women capturing the bulk of the increase since January 2025.
Mike Konczal, director of policy and research at the Economic Security Project, said women added about 765,000 jobs since December 2024 while men lost roughly 6,000, making women responsible for 100% of net growth over that period and 82% of growth in the past year.
Restaurants and bars added 59,000 jobs and local government education contributed 42,000, together nearly two‑thirds of August’s total, and both sectors employ largely female workforces.
Local government education employment was flat since January 2025, meaning August’s gain mainly reversed a summer dip rather than signaling new hiring.
Manufacturing, a traditionally male‑dominated field, grew for a second consecutive month, adding 16,000 jobs in August and 58,000 since December 2025, driven by machinery and fabricated metal product manufacturing.
The unemployment rate stayed at 4.1% in August, with women at 3.5% and men at 4.0%, while average hourly earnings rose 3.1% year‑over‑year, the slowest pace since May 2021, and labor force participation slipped 0.5 percentage points since January.
BLS revised June and July payroll numbers up by a combined 55,000 jobs, and the September report is slated for release on October 2.
Slow Growth Underscores Trump Era
Overall job growth under the Trump administration has been historically sluggish, with roughly 716,000 nonfarm jobs added from January 2025 to June 2026, about one‑third of the 2 million jobs added in a comparable period under Biden.
The federal workforce has shrunk by more than 300,000 positions since Trump took office, a decline driven by early mass layoffs and buyouts, further limiting overall hiring.
