Black Women’s Job Crisis Deepens

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Black Women Face Rising Joblessness

The job market continues to present significant challenges for Black women. Recent reports show a troubling trend of increasing unemployment rates for this group. In April 2025, the unemployment rate for Black women saw a substantial increase, reaching a multi-month high (blackdoctor.org). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Black women lost 38,000 jobs in April, and their unemployment increased by 106,000 (blackdoctor.org). Their unemployment rate jumped to 6.1% from 5.1% in March, a full percentage point increase in just one month (blackdoctor.org).

This 6.1% unemployment rate for Black women in April was a full percentage point surge from the previous month (blackenterprise.com). In stark contrast, the unemployment rate for White women in April was 3.3%, remaining unchanged from March (blackenterprise.com). For Hispanic women, the rate was 4.6%, also unchanged (blackenterprise.com). Data from HBCU Money indicated that the number of Black women employed was at a five-month low, and the number of unemployed was at a five-month high (blackenterprise.com). By May 2025, the unemployment rate for Black women ages 20 and over rose slightly to 6.2%, up from 6.1% in April (axios.com). This figure surpassed the national average of 4.2% and even exceeded the unemployment rate for Black men, which stood at 5.6% in May (axios.com). The upward unemployment trend for Black women has continued steadily since May 2024, when the rate climbed to 5.3% (axios.com).

Federal Job Cuts Impact Black Women

A major factor contributing to the rise in unemployment for Black women is a significant decline in federal government employment. The share of Black women working in the federal government shrank nearly 33% over the past year (axios.com). This drop is largely attributed to the controversial “workforce optimization initiative” spearheaded by President Donald Trump and the quasi-government agency DOGE, led by Elon Musk (axios.com). Launched in February, this initiative encouraged buyouts for roughly 75,000 federal employees, followed by sweeping layoffs across multiple federal departments (axios.com).

Women comprise a slight minority of the federal workforce but represent the majority of employees among agencies targeted by the White House (axios.com). These agencies include USAID, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Education, where Black women make up 28% of workers (axios.com). The federal government, historically a stable employer, has seen cuts that disproportionately affect women and people of color (19thnews.org). The elimination of federal jobs pushes these female workers into a market that discriminates based on sex (19thnews.org). Between February and March, during the height of this initiative, approximately 266,000 Black women lost their jobs, marking a 2.52% decline in employment within that demographic (axios.com). This wave of layoffs mirrored the scale of job losses experienced by Black women at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2020 (axios.com). Agencies with majority women and minority workforces are among the hardest hit by staff cuts (govexec.com).

DEI Rollbacks Create Barriers

The dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has added significant challenges for Black women in the workforce. DEI initiatives are organizational frameworks and policies designed to promote fair treatment and full participation of all individuals, particularly those from underrepresented groups, within workplaces and institutions. These initiatives often include efforts to ensure equitable hiring practices, career advancement opportunities, and inclusive work environments. The elimination of DEI roles and cuts in federal government jobs are identified as key contributors to the job losses experienced by Black women (washingtoninformer.com).

The “anti-DEI and anti-Black focus of the new administration’s policies” is cited as a direct result of the increase in Black women’s unemployment (washingtoninformer.com). A class-action lawsuit filed in March with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board claims that hundreds of Black women were unjustly terminated from federal positions (axios.com). Backed by the ACLU’s Washington office, the suit argues that the administration violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by enforcing the Trump-era rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies (axios.com). Plaintiffs say the rollback disproportionately harmed Black women in the federal workforce, destroying what was once a stable path of employment for many (axios.com). The removal of DEI initiatives can lead to a decrease in the representation of diverse employees and a disproportionate impact on minority groups.

Historical Disparities and Vulnerabilities

Historically, Black women have faced higher unemployment rates and economic vulnerability compared to other groups. Since 1972, the unemployment rate for Black women has consistently exceeded that of white women, reflecting long-standing inequities in access to stable, high-paying jobs (bet.com). Black women are more likely to be employed in low-wage jobs, with 26.5% earning less than $15 an hour, compared to 15.2% of white women (bet.com). This economic vulnerability makes them particularly susceptible during economic downturns or policy shifts.

The concept of “last in, first out” often refers to layoff policies where the most recently hired employees are the first to be let go. While not explicitly detailed in the provided articles as a direct policy, the disproportionate impact on Black women suggests they may be more vulnerable to such outcomes. This vulnerability stems from historical and ongoing systemic inequalities in hiring and retention. Economic downturns and public sector job losses disproportionately harm Black workers, unraveling their economic stability and widening the persistent income and wealth divide (msmagazine.com). The significant increase in unemployment for Black women, while the national unemployment rate remained steady, indicates a disproportionate impact on this demographic (blackdoctor.org). Black women’s unemployment rate jumped a full percentage point in just one month, highlighting a rapid and severe impact (blackdoctor.org).

Broader Economic Factors and Comparisons

The rise in unemployment for Black women has surpassed that of Black men and white women in recent months. While Black women’s unemployment rose to 5.8% in May, up from 5.3% a year ago, the jobless rate for Black men declined to 5.6% (axios.com). For white women, the jobless rate has stayed relatively flat, while for white men, it rose but remained below the overall number (axios.com). The U.S. job market remains turbulent for Black women, who continue to face disproportionately high unemployment rates (axios.com). A new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, released on July 3, shows that while the unemployment rate for Black women declined slightly in June to 5.8%, it remained notably higher compared to other ethnic groups (axios.com).

By comparison, the unemployment rate for adult white women dropped to 3.1% in June, while the rate for Hispanic women declined to 4.5% (axios.com). Meanwhile, Black men saw a sharp increase in unemployment, rising from 5.2% in May to 6.8% in June-the highest among the major worker groups (axios.com). Although Black women now have a lower unemployment rate than Black men, they continue to face disproportionately high joblessness relative to their peers (axios.com). The report highlighted that federal government employment declined by 7,000 jobs in June and is down by 69,000 since its peak in January (axios.com). The latest employment report highlighted that the healthcare sector-where Black women are significantly overrepresented-added 39,000 jobs in June (axios.com). Notable increases occurred in hospitals (+16,000) and in nursing and residential care facilities (+14,000) (axios.com). However, these job gains were not substantial enough to offset the broader economic challenges disproportionately affecting Black women in the labor market (axios.com). When Black women become unemployed, they tend to remain jobless for longer periods compared to other groups (axios.com). Jasmine Tucker, the vice president for research at the National Women’s Law Center, revealed that in June, Black women faced the longest average period of unemployment across all groups, with many remaining jobless for more than six months before securing new employment (axios.com). Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, also noted that the tariff war and lack of funding for small businesses that primarily hire Black women have added to the complex storm (axios.com).

Policy Implications and The Road Ahead

The policies of the Trump administration, particularly the rollback of DEI initiatives and federal job cuts, are directly linked to the rise in unemployment among Black women. The mechanism involves the dismantling of programs designed to promote diversity and equity in the workplace, leading to fewer opportunities and increased vulnerability to layoffs for minority groups. Additionally, the targeting of agencies with diverse workforces exacerbates this issue (govexec.com). The “anti-DEI and anti-Black focus of the new administration’s policies” is explicitly stated as a direct result of the increase in Black women’s unemployment (washingtoninformer.com).

Addressing these policies would involve reinstating and strengthening DEI programs, protecting public sector jobs, and implementing policies that promote equitable economic opportunities. The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) argues that women and people of color are being “pushed out of good jobs not due to their performance or agency needs, but due to the authoritarian agenda of a handful of billionaires” (govexec.com). Gutting government employment is seen not just as a budgetary concern but as perpetuating systemic inequality and undermining the progress Black women have fought to achieve (msmagazine.com). The current situation calls for “counter-narratives that focus on the essential role of government and public sector workers in supporting economic security” (msmagazine.com). The historical context of Black workers faring worse during economic downturns, especially in public sector employment, suggests that addressing systemic inequalities is a crucial long-term solution (msmagazine.com). As federal employment contracts and DEI programs are dismantled, Black women-already underrepresented in private-sector leadership and overrepresented in low-wage jobs-are finding fewer paths to economic stability (axios.com). Advocates say that reversing this trend will require both legal accountability and a renewed commitment to equitable hiring practices at all levels of government (axios.com). For Black women in the U.S., the road to stable employment is becoming increasingly steep and uncertain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.