By March 2026, prime-age women's labor force participation reached the highest level ever recorded. Yet the pay gap was still widening — by both the latest annual figures and the most recent weekly data into early 2026. Women are not withdrawing from work. Participation alone no longer explains where economic power accumulates.
A long read in six sections, with four charts, an interactive, and two open datasets behind it.
Read the full issue →Six figures that shape the issue. Each is sourced in the methodology and surfaced in the data room.
Prime-age women's labor force participation in March 2026 — the highest level ever recorded.
The female-to-male earnings ratio for full-time workers — down for the second consecutive year.
Women's turnover rose nearly three times as fast as men's after return-to-office mandates.
What women in executive roles earned for every dollar paid to male peers across reporting firms.
Share of newly-launched businesses founded by women in 2024 — up twenty points from 2019.
Federal payroll positions lost since October 2024 — a workforce that was 45% female at the start.
Every figure in the issue is fully sourced and documented. The supporting material below is open and freely licensed.
An interactive chart of U.S. labor force participation from 2015–2026. Compare demographic groups, switch between rates and headcounts, and explore differences across states and regions.
A monthly record of U.S. labor force participation from 2015–2026, including headline and demographic participation rates published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Every source cited in the issue — authors, publication, methodology, sample size, and a verification link. The receipts for the whole issue, in one place.