Women Dominate U.S. Job Growth in August

According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women drove nearly all U.S. job growth in August, accounting for about 97.5% of new positions added.

The economy added 162,000 nonfarm payroll jobs last month, exceeding the 31,000 average monthly gain of the prior year. Women gained approximately 158,000 of those positions, while men secured around 4,000 jobs.

The sectors with high concentrations of female workers, such as food services and drinking places (+59,000 jobs) and local government education (+42,000 jobs), saw significant hiring. In contrast, the information sector lost 23,000 jobs.

Women now hold a majority of nonfarm payroll jobs, with approximately 79.75 million positions, or 50.1% of the total. This follows a broader pattern of women driving most net job gains from 2025 through 2026, particularly in health care, education, and leisure and hospitality.