Men Continued to Outnumber and Outearn Women Among Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic led to major changes in employment for all types of U.S. workers, but these changes looked different for women and men.

Some employees transitioned to remote or hybrid work, while essential workers faced hazardous conditions in the workplace. Many workers had to adjust their schedules or leave their jobs. And sudden shifts in demand for goods and services led to fluctuations in employment across different occupations, leading to different changes for men and women.

Overall, full-time, year-round employment declined by 4.4 million workers from 2019 to 2021, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 and 2021 American Community Survey’s Women and Men’s Detailed Occupations and Median Earnings Tables.

Some occupations grew during the pandemic. Both men and women’s job gains were mostly in the broad category of management, business, science and arts occupations in which men were paid 26% more than women, on average.

Men lost more of these jobs than women but continued to outnumber women in the labor force. Women’s losses were concentrated in service and retail sales occupations, while men’s were distributed across a broader range of occupations, including construction, transportation, service and sales.

Some occupations grew during the pandemic. Both men and women’s job gains were mostly in the broad category of management, business, science and arts occupations in which men were paid 26% more than women, on average.

In recognition of Equal Pay Day on March 14 and Women’s History Month, this article examines differences in occupational employment shifts for women and men during the COVID pandemic.

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