Black Women In The Workforce Are The Economic Warning Sign We Cannot Ignore

Today’s Data. Tomorrow’s Agenda.

The Black woman: Everyone’s trusted work friend. The most educated demographic. The “backbone of the economy.” All of these amazing attributes seemingly push Black women to the forefront of the workforce; however, they are suffering the most. According to Essence, 600,000 Black women in the workforce lost their jobs in 2025. To add insult to injury, reports indicate that the rate of unemployed Black women (7.3%) is nearly double that of the national average (4.4%). It causes one to wonder how Black women can genuinely be considered the “backbone of the economy” if they are not actively participating in it.

The truth is, Black women being sidelined in the workforce is one recession indicator no one saw coming.

When it comes to any American crisis, Black women are usually the first to feel the consequences. As TIME reported, the demographic was the first to experience job loss and trouble making ends meet during the Great Recession of the late 2000s. Soon after, the rest of the country began to have the same troubles.

Further examples were provided during the COVID-19 recession, with many systemic factors at play. During the pandemic, Black people were more likely to contract the virus. Additionally, they were more likely to die once contracting the virus. This was due to a lack of COVID testing in predominantly Black neighborhoods, poor or nonexistent healthcare, and medical bias. Even more so, those who worked in low-wage jobs such as fast food restaurants or custodial services were at even higher risk of catching the virus. And it’s no coincidence that Black women are highly represented in these lines of work.

Despite the health risks, Black women in the workforce were the first to get the boot and experience unemployment. 16.5% of Black women were unemployed in early 2020. Soon after, the rest of the country began to experience high rates of unemployment.

On top of those recessions, Black women experience “low wages, little security, and few benefits and are underrepresented in the highest paying careers. Even in good times, Black women have lower promotion rates, receive the least managerial support, and are typically paid less than white men with the same or even lower levels of education,” according to “The Double Tax” by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman.

What’s most important to point out in all of this terrifying data is that, typically, once Black women began to economically suffer, soon after… so did the rest of the country.

2025 was a year full of great moments. Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year, Kendrick swept the Grammys, “Sinners” grossed nearly $400 million, and A’ja Wilson won her fourth MVP award. Unfortunately, 2025 was also a year of great losses. After President Trump began his second term, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives took a big hit. Many corporations, institutions, and brands revised and revoked their initiatives, leaving minorities out in the cold.

With the DEI initiatives stripped away, discrimination became easier, and Black women again felt the pain. According to the 2026 State of the Dream data, over 270,000 federal jobs were eliminated in 2026. Black people, specifically women, are overrepresented in federal and government jobs, meaning the elimination of those jobs effectively wiped out Black middle-class families.

While national headlines report that unemployment is improving, as history has taught us, whatever Black women experience is a small indication of what is to come. Not to mention, Trump has been known to remove people in high positions and replace them with people who are a little more agreeable to him. TIME reports that the President suddenly fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner and nominated a replacement, so soon, labor statistics may become unreliable.

Another factor, that sometimes goes unconsidered, is that fewer Black women in the workforce doesn’t only indicate that they are being laid off or fired. It also indicates that they are not being hired. Anyone who spends any time on LinkedIn doesn’t need to read any statistics to know that Black women are suffering in the job market. Ignoring DEI doesn’t just affect those who already have jobs, but also those trying to find employment. Black women are the most educated demographic and the “backbone of the economy,” but there is no incentive to hire them anymore. Though there shouldn’t need to be an incentive other than the potential they bring to the position.

The National Women’s Law Center reported that Black women, on average, experience 14.5 weeks of unemployment before securing a job. Black men have to wait 12.1 weeks before being hired, while white men wait about 9.6 weeks and white women wait 8.6 weeks. As mentioned in The Washington Post, when Black women lost their jobs, the positions were not eliminated as one might think. Those jobs were then picked up by White and Latinx people.

The barriers facing Black women in the workforce don’t stop at unemployment rates. They range from algorithmic bias in hiring software to managerial harassment. However, these obstacles do not define the capacity for achievement; they simply change the strategy required to reach it. By understanding the current economic forecast and leveraging the right technical and community resources, we can navigate this shifting landscape with the same resilience that has always characterized our professional journeys. As we move forward, turn this individual resilience into a collective power move.

The essential resources and mobilization tools you need to stay ahead of the current workforce shift.

Pivot Strategy: If you have been impacted by federal cuts, utilize the National Urban League’s Jobs Network to find private-sector roles that value high-level administrative and policy experience.

Funding Your Own Agenda: For those moving into “necessity entrepreneurship,” check the current Her Agenda Breakthrough Grant, which specializes in helping Black women scale brands! The deadline to apply is January 18, 2026.

Skill Reshaping: Explore the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) grants in your local state to receive free certifications in emerging tech and AI-integration to stay competitive in a shrinking corporate landscape.