The stay-at-home boyfriend is now an economic trend as more women than men go to work
Fortune • • business
Key Points:
- As of early 2026, women hold more payroll jobs than men in the U.S., marking a structural shift rather than a temporary recession-driven change seen in past instances.
- Over the past year, men’s job numbers declined by 142,000 while women’s increased by 298,000, with two-thirds of new jobs going to women, particularly in female-dominated sectors like healthcare and social assistance.
- The decline in male labor force participation is driven by fewer younger men working compared to previous generations, with many supported by parents or partners, and spending significant time on leisure activities such as video gaming.
- Male-dominated industries like manufacturing and tech have stagnated or contracted, while growth sectors requiring female-dominated training, such as nursing and healthcare, continue to expand and are more protected from AI displacement.
- Experts suggest that reversing this trend would require cultural and educational shifts to encourage men into growing female-dominated fields, but current data shows no signs of such a reversal, indicating a potentially permanent change in workforce gender dynamics.
