US Women Drive Labor-Participation Gains, Shrinking Gap With Men

Women led the US workforce expansion in August, accounting for a bulk of the employees added to payrolls and further bolstering their progress during the pandemic recovery.

(Bloomberg) — Women led the US workforce expansion in August, accounting for a bulk of the employees added to payrolls and further bolstering their progress during the pandemic recovery.

The share of US women participating in the labor force rose to 57.7% in August. While that’s still much lower than the rate for men, which last month increased to 68.2%, the gap between the genders narrowed to the smallest on record.

The milestone bolsters a series of advances for women this year as pandemic-era policies like remote work increased the ability to work, especially for mothers. In June, the participation rate for prime-age female workers, those aged 25 to 54, reached a record of 77.8%. That figure stood at 77.6% in August.

The August gains weren’t evenly distributed, though, with White women making up the bulk of the gains in employment growth. In the past three months, Black women have seen a reversal in participation gains made earlier this year.

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