The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed that 517,000 jobs were added in January, 263,000 of which (50.9%) were women’s jobs. January’s gains mark 25 months of consecutive job gains for women and means women now hold over 1 million more net jobs than in February 2020; by comparison, men hold over 1.6 million more net jobs now than in February 2020.
The data also showed that there are 217,000 fewer women ages 20 and over in the labor force now than in February 2020, before the pandemic began. By comparison, there are over 1.3 million more men ages 20 and over in the labor force now than in February 2020. Women’s labor force participation rate was 58.3% in January 2023, one percentage point below their pre-pandemic labor force participation rate of 59.3% in February 2020. Women make up 100% of net labor force leavers ages 20 and over since February 2020.
Note: NWLC’s monthly jobs day analyses are generally not updated after publication and are provided for archival purposes. Please visit our main jobs day page for the most up-to-date analyses.
