U.S. Job Market Adds 776,000 Positions as Women Fill Almost All New Roles
The U.S. labor market has added 776,000 jobs since January 2025, with women securing nearly all of the net gains while male employment has contracted in key sectors. According to federal employment data analyzed by Platypus Economics and cited by The Boston Globe, women have captured the vast majority of recent job growth due to an aggressive expansion in private education and health services. That dynamic has pushed women’s share of total employment to 50.1%, marking the longest stretch since the aftermath of the last recession that female workers have held more jobs than men, according to an Indeed analysis reported by BigGo Finance.
Healthcare Expansion Drives Private Sector Growth
The primary engine of modern job creation is concentrated in health care and social assistance, which added nearly one million positions during the period. Private education and health services combined to add 1,029,000 jobs against an economy-wide gain of 759,000, according to data highlighted by newsletter writer Mike Konczal. Economists note that women outnumber men by more than 3-to-1 in health services and private education, including nurses and home health aides.
By contrast, the rest of the economy has shed roughly 220,000 jobs. Manufacturing and resource extraction industries—where men make up more than three-quarters of the workforce—have experienced stagnation or contraction. Goods-producing industries added a scant 68,000 jobs since the start of 2025, as data center-powered construction gains were largely offset by declines in manufacturing, oil, gas, and coal production.
Washington rhetoric ignores structural job market shifts
Economist Justin Wolfers pointed out in his Platypus Economics newsletter that Washington’s rhetoric frequently prioritizes traditional male hard-hat jobs despite broader macroeconomic realities.
When I listen to Washington, I hear talk about factories, construction, hard hats,
Wolfers said in an interview published by The Boston Globe, adding that the language puts more value on traditionally male jobs while remaining completely at odds with reality.
Other analysts emphasize that the trend is largely structural rather than political. Cory Stahle, a senior economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told BigGo Finance that unlike previous employment gaps driven by male job losses, the current trend persists because women are steadily gaining positions in expanding service sectors. ZipRecruiter economist Nicole Bachaud noted that healthcare hiring has faced recent deceleration due to federal funding pressures limiting institutional expansion.
Service demand displaces higher paying manufacturing jobs
Manufacturing jobs historically offer average weekly wages that run 15% higher than the overall private-sector average. Meanwhile, health care and social assistance positions pay approximately 7.5% less than the private-sector average, according to labor data.
Manufacturing currently employs about 8% of American workers, down from 20% in 1980, as consumer demand shifts permanently toward services and an aging population requires expanded elder care.
Unemployment Rises as Hiring Slows Across Sectors
The broader labor market continues to exhibit low-hire, low-fire conditions. The national unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2% in September, with the jobless rate among men reaching 4.3%—0.3 percentage points higher than for women. Betsey Stevenson, an economist and public policy professor at the University of Michigan, told NPR that while workers already employed are generally holding onto their positions, finding new opportunities has become significantly harder.
What I see is a continuation of a low-fire, low-hire labor market,
Stevenson told NPR in an interview. That is a labor market where if you have a job, you’re doing OK. You can hang on to it, but it’s hard to get a new job.
Health care growth drives female employment gains
Why are women securing a disproportionate share of recent jobs?
Job growth is heavily concentrated in health care and social assistance, an industry sector that is roughly 77% female and has added nearly one million jobs. Meanwhile, male-dominated goods-producing industries have experienced sluggish growth or job losses.
How long have women held more jobs than men in the U.S.?
Women have held more jobs than men for eight consecutive months, representing the longest such stretch in over a decade and a half, according to Indeed employment data analyzed by BigGo Finance.
What is the current national unemployment rate?
The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.2% following the September employment report, with male unemployment at 4.3% and female unemployment 0.3 percentage points lower, according to federal labor data discussed by NPR and The Boston Globe.
How do manufacturing wages compare to healthcare wages?
Average weekly wages for manufacturing jobs are 15% higher than the overall private-sector average, whereas health care and social assistance jobs pay about 7.5% less than the private-sector average.
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