Women drive nearly all U.S. job growth in August

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that women have accounted for nearly all net U.S. payroll employment gains since December 2024. In August, the economy added 162,000 nonfarm jobs, with women securing approximately 158,000 of those positions, representing 97.5% of the monthly growth.

Key hiring sectors included food services and drinking places, which added 59,000 jobs, and local government education, which added 42,000. Manufacturing also saw an increase of 16,000 positions, while the information sector lost 23,000 jobs. The national unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%.

Women now hold 79.75 million nonfarm payroll jobs, accounting for 50.1% of the total. While female-dominated sectors like healthcare, education, and hospitality have driven recent growth, reports from the International Labour Organization suggest that female-dominated occupations may face higher exposure to generative AI due to concentrations in clerical and administrative roles.