November and December 2025 saw a peak of 77.4 million women in the civilian labor force. While this is partly due to a growing population, as the participation rate is still below pre-pandemic levels, women in the U.S. have been steadily growing the workforce for all of 2025.
With more women working, the unemployment rate among women 20 years and older has remained steady between 3.6% and 4.1% for all of 2025 without any major dips. As expected, the unemployment rate rose to 4.1% in November and 4.1% in December, the highest point of the year, as women usually are the first to temporarily leave jobs as children have breaks from school or regular child care during holidays.
Not only are women the first to sacrifice their jobs for their family, women also have a higher rate of holding multiple jobs, with 6.1% of women holding multiple jobs compared to 4.9% of men in December 2025.
Workforce data for women shows how much flexibility is needed in order to be a working woman in the United States. There are many professions that make it possible for women to work fully as well as care for their families as needed. Industries such as private education and health services, government, and financial activities are dominated by women. Health care and private education have long been dominated by women, both because they are traditionally female roles, but also because these jobs allow women to have more flexible schedules than a traditional 9-to-5 job.
Why is flexibility so important? It allows women to prioritize what is important to them, rather than following a narrower path. Many women want highly successful careers and families, but much of the support women get is in favor of only one path. With a flexible schedule and the right work freedoms, women are able to pursue what they are passionate about without sacrificing one or the other completely. This is also why many women choose to freelance or create their own business. Being able to choose their clients and schedules allows women to uniquely fit work into their lives in a way that suits them perfectly.
As 2026 starts, women can look ahead to the new year as full of opportunities to make their jobs work for them. As more and more policies are being implemented to help with affordability, work is more important than ever for women who want to provide for themselves and their loved ones.
Bottom Line
While there were many wins in labor policy in 2025, from reducing regulatory burdens on independent contractors to the introduction of the Modern Worker Empowerment Act, 2026 policy must be on board with the women workforce by making occupational licensing more accessible, protections enshrined in law for independent contractors, benefits portable for freelancers, and the cost of living affordable for Americans.