Women accounted for 98% of the 162,000 jobs the US added in August, an unprecedented figure that could point to broader labor market shifts.
The figure reflects growth in health and caregiving, but also in local government and education, which “roared back to life,” CNBC noted.
Because women tend to earn less than men and are likelier to hold multiple jobs, the figure suggests hiring is clustered in low-paying, contingent roles, meaning it’s not “necessarily a positive story for women overall,” Indeed Hiring Lab said. It also belies a trend of American mothers exiting the workforce.
A Trump administration plan would pay at-home parents, The New York Times reported, but critics said it could divert money from other working parents.
