Washington, D.C. – Newly released figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have revealed a troubling setback for Black women in the American labor force, highlighting the disproportionate impact of recent policy shifts on one of the country’s most economically vulnerable demographics. According to the April jobs report, Black women experienced the most severe job losses of any racial or gender group, shedding a staggering 106,000 jobs in a single month.
This sharp decline comes even as the broader U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs and the national unemployment rate remained stable at 4.2%. The number of employed Black women dropped from 10.325 million in March to 10.219 million in April. Their unemployment rate jumped from 5.1% to 6.1%, marking the largest month-to-month increase among all demographic groups. The labor force participation rate for Black women edged down to 61.2%, suggesting not only a loss in employment but a possible decrease in overall engagement in the workforce.
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By contrast, white women saw no change in their unemployment rate, which held steady at 3.3%. Hispanic women’s rate remained at 4.6%. Other groups generally do not face the same compounded challenges of racial and gender-based discrimination, which experts say contributes to the growing disparity in jobless rates.
The overall Black unemployment rate in April rose slightly to 6.3%, up from 6.2% in March, marking the third consecutive monthly increase and the highest rate since January. Notably, Black men experienced an improvement, with their unemployment rate falling from 6.1% to 5.6%. In comparison, Asian Americans had the lowest unemployment rate at 3.0%, followed by white Americans at 3.8% and Hispanic Americans at 5.2%.
According to HBCU Money, the number of Black women currently employed has reached a five-month low, while the number of unemployed Black women has hit a five-month high. Economist William Michael Cunningham, founder of Creative Investment Research, told BLACK ENTERPRISE that the total number of unemployed Black Americans increased by 29,000 in April, bringing the figure close to 1.4 million. Simultaneously, the Black labor force shrank by 7,000.
“The unusual nature of this increase in Black women’s unemployment is a testament to and a direct result of the anti-DEI and anti-Black focus of the new administration’s policies,” Cunningham stated. “This is demonstrably damaging to the Black community, something we have not seen before.”
Cunningham pointed to the recent elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles and cuts to federal government jobs as central factors contributing to these losses. The BLS reported that federal employment dropped by 9,000 jobs in April and has declined by 26,000 since January.
“For Black women, the numbers show that those seeking work are not finding jobs,” Cunningham emphasized. “The jobs that have traditionally been a path to stability are disappearing.”
Despite overall job growth in sectors such as healthcare, transportation and warehousing, financial services, and social assistance, these gains have not been equitably distributed. Many of the new opportunities appear to be inaccessible to Black women—further exacerbating systemic employment disparities.
The average hourly wage in April rose modestly by six cents to $36.06. The next Employment Situation report, which will cover May’s labor market performance, is scheduled for release on Friday, June 6.
This data arrives amid broader conversations about equity and justice in the U.S., where Black women continue to face unique barriers to economic stability. Advocates warn that without intentional policy interventions and renewed commitments to inclusion, the progress made in recent years toward closing racial and gender gaps may be reversed.
