FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 5, 2026

Contact: media@iwpr.org

The Jobs Report for May 2026 was released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The following is a statement from Kate Bahn, PhD, chief economist and senior vice president of research at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), on what the current report reveals about the larger economy and its impact on women and families. 

The Jobs Report for May shows higher-than-expected job gains, but some concerning trends still lurk beneath those big numbers—along with signs that the fruits of economic growth are not being evenly distributed.

After a year and a half of volatile unemployment, Black women’s unemployment rate fell to the lowest it’s been since March of last year. But the persistent gap remains, with a rate 1.6 times that of White women’s unemployment rate. And child care workers continued to lose jobs, with 9,500 jobs lost since the beginning of the year. Declines in this essential infrastructure may reflect tightening family budgets amid inflation, worsening work conditions, or changes in mothers’ labor force participation.

While there was relatively little change in women’s labor force participation (58.2 percent, compared with 58.6 percent in May 2025) or the number of discouraged women workers, last year’s steep declines in Black mothers’ labor force participation, as shown in work by the National Partnership for Women & Families, demonstrates the need for more research on how caregiving responsibilities, tech-related job displacement, and the availability of paid leave affects women’s workforce participation.

Women are foundational to our economy, and their ability to find jobs is crucial for building a society in which everyone can thrive.

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The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is the nation’s leading think tank working to win economic equity for all women. Through evidence-based research, policy solutions, and advocacy, IWPR is advancing the power and well-being of women across the US. Learn more at IWPR.org.