Women accounted for the full July decline among U.S. adults age 20 and older in the labor force, according to a National Women’s Law Center analysis of federal data. The shift coincided with a 23,000 decline in payroll employment and lower overall participation, drawing attention to women’s position in a slowing labor market.
Key Takeaways
- About 165,000 women age 20 and older left the labor force in July, while the number of men in the same age group was unchanged.
- The overall U.S. civilian labor force declined by 264,000 from June to July.
- U.S. nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 23,000 in July, while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent.
- Women lost about 32,000 payroll jobs during the month, according to the National Women’s Law Center analysis.
- The labor force participation rate stood at 61.4 percent in July, down 0.7 percentage point from January.
The labor force decline in July was concentrated among women when looking at adults age 20 and older.
Seasonally adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that the number of women age 20 and older in the labor force fell from 77.448 million in June to 77.283 million in July. That represents a decrease of 165,000. The comparable figure for men remained at 85.690 million in both months.
The National Women’s Law Center highlighted that change in an August 7 analysis, saying women accounted for the labor force decline among adults in that age group. The organization also calculated that 845,000 fewer women were in the labor force in July than in January, compared with 406,000 fewer men.
The broader BLS measure, which includes workers age 16 and older, showed the total civilian labor force falling from 169.358 million in June to 169.094 million in July. That was a decline of 264,000.
The distinction is important because leaving the labor force is different from losing a job. People are generally considered part of the labor force when they are employed or actively looking for work. Those who are neither working nor actively seeking employment are classified as outside the labor force.
July’s figures therefore provide information about participation as well as employment. They do not, however, identify one reason women left the labor force during the month.
Factors behind individual labor-force decisions can differ, and monthly employment statistics do not establish whether exits were connected to caregiving, education, retirement, health, discouragement or other circumstances.
The figures arrive amid broader discussion about workplace flexibility and how women structure their careers. That context may be relevant to wider workforce discussions, but the July data alone do not establish a cause for the monthly decline.
Participation also weakened across the population. The overall labor force participation rate was 61.4 percent in July, compared with 61.5 percent in June. BLS reported that the rate had declined by 0.7 percentage point since January.
Payroll Losses Added Another Pressure Point for Women
The labor-force numbers were accompanied by a decline in women’s payroll employment.
According to the National Women’s Law Center analysis, women lost 32,000 jobs in July while men gained about 9,000. Because total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 23,000, the decline in women’s employment was larger than the net monthly decrease after gains among men were included.
Women represented 50.1 percent of the workforce, according to the organization’s analysis.
Some industries showed particularly visible changes. Leisure and hospitality employment fell by about 40,000 during July. The National Women’s Law Center calculated that women lost 63,000 jobs in the sector while men gained approximately 23,000. Women accounted for 52.3 percent of its workforce.
Other parts of the economy moved differently.
BLS reported that local government education employment decreased by 50,000 in July. Retail trade lost 19,000 jobs, while health care employment continued to trend upward with an increase of 22,000.
The mixed sector data show why the headline employment number does not describe every part of the labor market in the same way. Job gains in some areas occurred alongside declines in others, while changes in labor-force participation added another dimension to the monthly picture.
Separate research has also examined women’s work ability under varying health and workplace conditions. That research does not explain July’s employment figures, but it illustrates the broader range of factors researchers consider when examining women’s experiences in paid work.
Revised Job Numbers Showed Slower Labor Market Momentum
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July’s employment report also changed the picture of the previous two months.
BLS revised May payroll growth from an initially reported 129,000 jobs to 63,000. June was revised from 57,000 to 20,000. Together, the revisions reduced previously reported employment gains for those two months by 103,000.
Total nonfarm payroll employment then declined by 23,000 in July. By comparison, employment had increased by an average of 34,000 per month during the previous 12 months.
The unemployment rate moved in the opposite direction, edging down from 4.2 percent in June to 4.1 percent in July. The number of unemployed people decreased from about 7.1 million to 6.9 million.
A lower unemployment rate can occur at the same time as a shrinking labor force because people who stop actively looking for work are generally no longer counted as unemployed.
Other indicators were relatively stable. The number of people working part time for economic reasons remained around 4.8 million. Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees reached $37.62, up 3.2 percent from a year earlier, while the average workweek remained at 34.3 hours.
Long-term unemployment also remained part of the labor picture. About 1.8 million people had been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer in July, representing 25.5 percent of all unemployed people.
For women, the combination of lower participation and payroll losses makes July’s data notable even without assigning a single explanation to the change. The labor force decline shows a measurable gender difference among adults age 20 and older at a time when broader employment growth was also limited.
The next monthly report can show whether July represented a temporary movement or part of a longer pattern. BLS is scheduled to publish August employment figures on September 4, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Labor Force Decline Mean?
A labor force decline means fewer people are either employed or actively looking for employment. People who stop actively searching for work are generally classified as outside the labor force rather than unemployed.
How Many Women Left the Labor Force in July 2026?
About 165,000 women age 20 and older left the labor force between June and July on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of men age 20 and older in the labor force was unchanged during the same period.
Did Women Also Lose Jobs in July?
Yes. The National Women’s Law Center analysis found that women lost approximately 32,000 payroll jobs in July, while men gained around 9,000. Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 23,000.
Why Did the Unemployment Rate Fall?
The unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent as the number of unemployed people declined to about 6.9 million. A lower unemployment rate can coincide with a labor force decline because people who stop actively seeking employment are no longer counted as unemployed.
Does the July Report Explain Why Women Left the Labor Force?
No. The monthly BLS data measure employment status and labor-force participation but do not establish a single reason for the decline among women. The figures therefore support describing the change in participation without attributing it to one specific cause.
