Black women's unemployment has been steadily increasing and is now rising faster than other demographic groups. Between February and April 2025, Black women lost over 300,000 jobs even as the broader economy grew. In April alone, Black women shed 106,000 jobs while the economy added more than 170,000 positions. The unemployment rate for Black women rose from 5.4 percent in January to 6.1 percent in May and continued upward from 5.8 percent to 6.3 percent between June and July. Large-scale displacement of vulnerable workers signals structural labor-market weaknesses that deepen racial and gender inequities and can slow overall economic progress. Policymaking and targeted research are necessary to mitigate these losses and promote a more equitable, resilient economy.
The most recent jobs report finally had pundits and policymakers on alert, but the warning signal has been flashing in vain for months: Black women's unemployment has been steadily tracking up. Right now, their experiences are sounding an alarm that should concern us all. While headlines tout overall labor market gains, Black women facing rising unemployment reveal the cracks in our economic foundation that threaten everyone's future.
Between February and April 2025, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that Black women lost over 300,000 jobs even as the overall economy was growing. When the most vulnerable workers are displaced at such scale, it's a harbinger of structural weaknesses that often ripple through labor markets and communities nationwide, slowing economic progress and deepening longstanding racial and gender inequities.
In April, specifically, Black women experienced the largest job loss of any demographic group, shedding 106,000 jobs even as the overall economy added more than 170,000 positions. Their unemployment rate surged from 5.4 percent in January to 6.1 percent in May-the steepest increase among all racial and gender groups this year. The unemployment rate for Black women is still on the rise, from 5.8 percent to 6.3 percent between June to July of this year.
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