The Stay At Home Boyfriend

As of early 2026, women now hold more payroll jobs than men in the U.S. for the first time outside of a recession and economists say this may be a lasting shift.

A big reason is where the jobs are growing. Health care, education and other service industries, fields that employ a lot of women, have continued adding workers, while traditionally male-dominated industries like manufacturing, construction and some tech sectors have faced slower growth or job cuts.

There’s also been a long-term change in education: women now earn the majority of college degrees, giving them a growing advantage in many of the occupations expected to expand in coming years.

Federal Reserve economists have suggested this isn’t simply a temporary statistical blip. The American workforce itself is changing, and women could continue to outnumber men on payrolls.

Which gives a whole new meaning to the TikTok “stay-at-home boyfriend.”
I don’t hate it!
Lana Backman