Since January 2025, women have accounted for the vast majority of job growth in the United States, according to government employment data analyzed by University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers. His analysis shows that of the 776,000 jobs added during this period, only about 65,000 went to men, with women filling roughly 711,000 of the new positions.
This disparity is largely driven by expansion in the private education and health services sectors, collectively known as “eds and meds,” where women outnumber men by more than three-to-one. Since the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, nearly one million jobs have been added in these industries, primarily within health care and social assistance subsectors such as nursing and home health care aides. Private education hiring has been weaker nationally and especially so in regions like Massachusetts.
However, outside of these sectors, the broader economy—which has a more balanced gender composition—has shed close to 250,000 jobs since early 2025. This overall decline in other areas contributes to the notable gender gap in job gains. Massachusetts has mirrored this trend, but growth in health-related fields has not offset losses in other industries within the state.
The current pattern comes as the administration continues to emphasize reviving and expanding manufacturing and other goods-producing jobs, sectors traditionally dominated by male workers. Efforts include the use of tariffs, trade negotiations, and policies aimed at encouraging companies—both domestic and foreign—to increase manufacturing output within the United States. Despite these measures, goods-producing industries have only added about 68,000 jobs since the start of 2025. Gains in construction, boosted in part by data center-related demand, have partially offset declines in manufacturing and fossil fuel production.
Wolfers has noted that political rhetoric often privileges “hard hat” industries associated with male workers, but this emphasis does not align with the actual employment trends where services, particularly those employing women, are driving growth. He also points out that this shift in job growth is moving away from the predominantly male voter base that supported Trump, a factor of potential significance ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Supporters of bolstering manufacturing argue that increasing domestic production of critical goods—such as semiconductors, energy resources, and rare earth minerals—is essential for both economic security and national defense. Manufacturing also sustains supply chains and demands highly skilled workers, contributing to innovation. Additionally, it has historically provided middle-class job opportunities for workers without college degrees. Manufacturing jobs typically offer wages about 15 percent higher than the overall private-sector average, while many health and social assistance jobs pay roughly 7.5 percent less.
Critics of the administration’s tariff policies warn that import duties raise costs for manufacturers and disrupt supply chains, potentially provoking retaliatory tariffs that could harm U.S. exports. They also note that technological advances have drastically reduced the number of manufacturing jobs available, and the sector now employs just 8 percent of American workers—down from 20 percent in 1980.
As the economy evolves and the population ages, demand is increasingly shifting from goods to services, particularly health and elder care, where employment opportunities are expanding. The recent unemployment rate for men stood at 4.3 percent in September, slightly higher than the 4.0 percent rate for women. Analysts suggest this gender employment gap may widen unless more men transition into service-oriented fields that are currently driving job growth. There is growing consensus that public policy should facilitate this adjustment to better align workers’ skills with emerging job market realities.