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Women in U.S. Held More Payroll Jobs Than Men Last Month, Data Shows

Labor Department data showed women held just over half of the payroll positions in December, surpassing men by 109,000 jobs.

Women held more payroll jobs in the U.S. than men last month for the first time in almost 10 years, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to Labor Department data released Friday, there are a larger amount of women on payrolls—which exclude farmworkers and those who are self-employed—than men in December 2019. Women held just over 50 percent of the payroll roles that month, surpassing men by 109,000 jobs. While predominately male industries like mining and manufacturing lost a total of 21,000 jobs last month compared to November, female-majority sectors like education and health services grew by 36,000 jobs. While the gap between women and men on payrolls has been decreasing for sometime, the December numbers are the first time women surpassed men since a stretch of time between June 2009 and April 2010.

The data showed that men still comprise a larger share of the U.S. workforce, which counts those employed or looking for work, and of the labor-force participation rate. The data also shows that men are more likely to hold down employment that is not considered payroll work, like self-employment and farm laborers. Women were also found more likely to hold more than one job.