Women are the big winners in the labor force right now, as female-dominated jobs are powering growth.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 172,000 jobs were added in May. The overall unemployment rate once again remained at 4.3% in May from 4.3% in April. These job gains once again significantly beat economists’ expectations of around 85,000 jobs and signal strength in the U.S. economy.
The unemployment rate for women fell slightly to 3.8% from 3.9%. Part of the decline in women’s unemployment rate is due to a decline in women’s labor force participation. That decline goes against the overall labor force participation remaining steady at 61.8% in May from 61.8% in April. Meanwhile, men’s labor force participation increased slightly to 69.5% in May from 69.4% in April. Both rates for men and women are still below pre-pandemic levels.
May saw strong growth in health care, leisure and hospitality, and government. Meanwhile, financial activities lost 22,000 jobs, and air transportation lost 8,700 jobs.
The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer sentiment fell to 44.8 in May, down from 49.8 in the prior month, amid uncertainty around fuel prices, partially related to the Iranian military conflict.
Patrice Onwuka, Vice President for Economic Policy, issued the following statement:
“May was a blockbuster month for hiring in the U.S. Women are the big winners in the labor force right now, as female-dominated jobs are powering growth.
“Leisure and hospitality industries with high concentrations of women added 70,000 jobs in May. This outpaced the average monthly gain of 14,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, food services and drinking places added 48,000 jobs. Between the FIFA World Cup bringing millions of fans to the U.S. starting next week, to the celebrations of America’s 250th birthday, hotels, restaurants, and bars are staffing up to accommodate massive demand. These are flexible jobs that women value to work around their schedule while being rewarded for good service.
“The caring industries, such as healthcare and social assistance, continue to be growing fields for women, adding 47,000 jobs last month, well in line with average monthly growth. Caring industries are particularly important to women who are drawn to careers that offer the fulfillment from helping others. Women can count on ample, stable opportunities in high-paying occupations in these industries for years to come as Americans continue to live longer.
“The Working Families Tax Cuts (aka One Big Beautiful Bill) couldn’t be more timely for women and workers. No tax on tips and overtime, in particular, rewards hard work among uniform-wearing Americans. Servers and nurses received a big boost to their tax refunds this year as 7.5 million tax filers took their deduction on tips, and 29 million filers took the deduction on overtime.
“The economic agenda of President Trump and conservatives in Washington is working for women and American workers. They cannot let up.”
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