More Women Than Men Now Hold U.S. Payroll Jobs. What It Means for the Rise of the ‘Stay-at-Home Boyfriend’

By Pulse Radio 96.1 News

For only the third time in American history, women now hold slightly more payroll jobs than men in the United States—a milestone that economists say reflects a long-term shift in the labor market rather than a temporary response to a recession. The trend has also sparked growing discussion online about the rise of the so-called “stay-at-home boyfriend,” as traditional household roles continue to evolve. 

According to an analysis by Indeed Hiring Lab, the employment gap between men and women has steadily narrowed over the past several decades. In the early 1990s, men held nearly seven million more payroll jobs than women. As of early 2026, that gap has effectively disappeared, with women now holding a slight majority of payroll positions. 

The change has been driven largely by where jobs are being created.

Between February 2024 and February 2026, the U.S. economy added approximately 1.2 million jobs. Nearly two-thirds of those positions were filled by women. Over the past year alone, jobs held by men declined by roughly 142,000, while jobs held by women increased by nearly 298,000. 

Healthcare, education, and social assistance continue to lead employment growth—industries where women make up the majority of the workforce. Meanwhile, several traditionally male-dominated sectors, including manufacturing, transportation, media, and portions of the technology industry, have experienced slower hiring or job losses. 

Economists say the trend is also tied to education.

Women now earn bachelor’s degrees at higher rates than men, giving them greater access to many of the occupations experiencing sustained growth. Careers in healthcare and caregiving, which are expected to expand as the U.S. population ages, are also considered less vulnerable to automation and artificial intelligence than many manual or administrative jobs. 

The shift has fueled conversations on social media about the emergence of the “stay-at-home boyfriend”—a term used to describe households where women are the primary earners while their male partners remain at home or work less.

However, labor experts caution against assuming this has become the norm.

While women now hold slightly more payroll jobs overall, men still have higher employment rates among prime working-age adults. Payroll figures count jobs rather than individual workers, meaning someone working multiple jobs can be counted more than once. The data also do not indicate who earns more within a household or whether a person staying home is doing so by choice, retirement, disability, caregiving responsibilities, or unemployment. 

Researchers also point to broader forces affecting male workforce participation, including an aging population, changing educational attainment, health challenges, and the decline of certain industries that historically employed large numbers of men. 

Whether the trend continues remains to be seen, but many economists believe the latest figures represent more than a temporary fluctuation. Unlike previous instances during the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s labor market changes appear to reflect a structural transformation in the American workforce rather than a short-term economic shock.