Women vs Men at Work: The Numbers
Thirteen measures of working life, side by side, with sources. Not opinion — data. Updated for 2026 using the most recent BLS, McKinsey, Pew, and academic releases.
| Measure | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
|
Median weekly earnings (full-time)
Women earn 83.8% of men's median. Gap is raw — includes occupational sorting.
BLS CPS 2024 · 2024
|
$1,028 | $1,227 |
|
Labor force participation (age 25-54)
Gap of ~11 pp has narrowed from ~27 pp in 1980.
|
78.2% | 89.1% |
|
Hours worked per week (full-time median)
Men work ~6% more weekly hours on average — much of the raw earnings gap.
BLS American Time Use Survey · 2024
|
39.7 | 42.3 |
|
Unpaid household labor per day
Women do roughly 60% more unpaid household work daily.
BLS ATUS 2024 · 2024
|
4.0 hours | 2.5 hours |
|
Share of S&P 500 CEO roles
All-time high, up from ~2% in 2012.
|
11.2% | 88.8% |
|
First promotion to manager (per 100 promoted)
For every 100 men promoted to manager, 81 women are. The 'broken rung.'
|
81 | 100 |
|
Negotiation request frequency (recent data)
Women now ask at similar rates to men — but receive raises 25% less often.
|
~equal | ~equal |
|
Interrupted in mixed-sex meetings (ratio)
Women were interrupted 33 times vs men's 7 in the foundational Zimmerman & West study.
|
Interrupted 4.5× | Interrupted 1× |
|
Received formal mentorship (% in first 5 years)
Gap has shrunk significantly; persists in male-dominated industries.
Catalyst (2023) · 2023
|
54% | 63% |
|
Leadership effectiveness rating (peers/subordinates)
Zenger Folkman 360-degree review of 60K+ leaders.
Zenger Folkman in HBR (2019) · 2019
|
Higher on 12/16 competencies | Higher on 4/16 |
|
Self-reported work satisfaction
Women report slightly higher overall work satisfaction — Pew 2023.
|
64% | 61% |
|
Parental leave taken (first child, weeks)
US average; paid portion much shorter for both.
|
9.6 weeks | 2.2 weeks |
|
Report workplace sexual harassment (lifetime)
Pew Research post-#MeToo survey (re-asked 2023).
Pew Research (2023) · 2023
|
38% | 13% |
What the numbers say
The raw earnings gap (16%) comes from two main sources in roughly equal measure: occupational sorting (women cluster in lower-paid industries) and in-occupation gaps (same job, less pay). The in-occupation gap has narrowed faster than the sorting gap over the past 30 years, which is why Claudia Goldin's Nobel-winning work calls attention to the remaining 'last chapter' gap — jobs that pay disproportionately for long, unbroken, non-flexible hours. Those jobs reward whoever can work them without disruption, which is disproportionately men.
Related
Sources
Frequently asked
What's the current raw gender pay gap in the US?
16.2% at the median, using BLS 2024 full-time weekly earnings. Women earn 83.8 cents per dollar men earn, unadjusted for occupation, hours, or experience.
How much of the pay gap is explained by occupation choice?
Roughly half. The unexplained in-occupation gap has closed from ~15% in 1990 to 5-8% today; the occupational sorting component has moved more slowly.
Do women work fewer hours on purpose?
Partly. ATUS shows women work ~6% fewer paid hours but ~60% more unpaid household hours. Total work hours (paid + unpaid) are roughly comparable; the paid/unpaid split is what's uneven.
Is the 'broken rung' still a thing in 2026?
Yes. McKinsey 2024 found women got 81 first-level manager promotions for every 100 men. This single transition accounts for most of the cumulative pipeline loss.
Are women better leaders than men?
Meta-analytically: equal or slightly higher on effectiveness ratings. Zenger Folkman's 60K+ leader review found women rated higher on 12 of 16 core competencies. The research case for 'male-default leadership' has largely collapsed.