Black Women: A job crisis hidden in plain sight

In April 2025, Black women lost 106,000 jobs, the largest decline of any demographic group, pushing their unemployment rate from 5.1% to 6.1% in one month. Over the first half of the year, more than 300,000 Black women have exited the labor force, even as the broader economy added jobs. These losses reflect cuts in federal jobs, the rollback of DEI policies, and tariff-driven stress on small businesses that employ Black women.

Why it Matters

Black women have held traditionally stable roles in public service, education, health, and HR—jobs now among the first targeted in cuts and policy changes. When DEI programs vanish and federal agencies shrink, the women most dependent on those pathways are hit hardest. These losses deepen economic inequality, lengthen unemployment spells (Black women already face the longest durations), and undermine the progress made in representation and economic security. The ripple effects threaten household stability, community investment, and the professional pipelines for future Black women leaders.

Background

Since early 2025, the job market data has shown a sharp divergence: while the U.S economy added jobs, Black women were being stripped of them. Many of the positions cut have been in federal agencies, where Black women are overrepresented and where DEI roles and administrative staff have been especially vulnerable. At the same time, tariffs have squeezed small businesses—particularly Black- and women-owned ones—by raising input costs, disrupting supply chains, and forcing layoffs. Combined, these trends create a structural squeeze on Black women’s employment opportunities during an otherwise stable or improving labor market.

Resources

19th News - Black women’s unemployment is rising. Economists say it’s a warning sign.
Ebony - April Jobs Report Shows Black Women Accounted for 106,000 Firings
Dame Magazine - Trump’s Tariffs Are Hurting Women of Color’s Businesses
Feminist Majority Foundation - DEI’s Collapse and the Cost to Black Women
CBS News - Why are so many Black women losing their jobs? An expert blames three factors.