Women now outnumber men in the U.S. college-educated labor force
Women have overtaken men and now account for more than half (50.7%) of the college-educated labor force in the United States.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Women have overtaken men and now account for more than half (50.7%) of the college-educated labor force in the United States.
Among adults 25 and older who have no education beyond high school, more women have left the labor force than men.
Americans have mixed views on the importance of having a degree. 47% say the cost is worth it only if someone doesn’t have to take out loans.
Roughly one-in-five Americans ages 65 and older were employed in 2023 – nearly double the share of those who were working 35 years ago.
Women now make up 35% of workers in the United States’ 10 highest-paying occupations – up from 13% in 1980.
The higher education pipeline suggests a long path is ahead for increasing diversity, especially in fields like computing and engineering.
Black and Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in STEM jobs compared with their share of the U.S. workforce.
This year will likely be the first year in which women are a majority of the U.S. college-educated labor force.
Between February and June 2020, the share of young adults who are neither enrolled in school nor employed has more than doubled.
The 30-year low reflects in part tight labor markets and falling unemployment, but also higher shares of young women at work or in school.
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