Black Unemployment Is Nearly Double The National Average 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released new jobs data on Tuesday, and the economic outlook isn’t so great. The adage that when America gets a cold, Black people get the flu is once again proving true as the data reveals that Black unemployment is almost double the national average. 

According to The New York Times, the national unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest level in almost five years. For Black people, that rate is drastically higher at 8.3 percent, which is alarming for a multitude of reasons. First, we’re only two years removed from Black unemployment reaching a record low. For it to increase so drastically over a relatively short period raises concerns about the economy as a whole. Especially considering Black women tend to be a bellwether for where the economy is headed. 

In recent months, legislators like Rep. Ayanna Pressley have tried to sound the alarm about how the increase in Black women’s unemployment should be a warning sign for what’s to come for the larger economy. Given who’s currently running the country, it should come as no surprise that little has been done in recent months to solve this issue. 

So what happened? Well, for starters, the widespread layoffs in the federal government disproportionately affected Black workers. Historically, jobs in the federal sector were sought specifically for their stability. That stability has been upended this year through mass layoffs triggered by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and consistent reductions in force across various government departments. 

President Donald Trump’s assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has led many employers in the public and private sectors to shutter their DEI offices. The problem this has created is twofold. Many Black people who worked in DEI offices are now out of work at a time when the federal government is attacking their profession. The shuttering of DEI programs both puts Black people out of work and makes it harder for them to find new work.

While employers added 64,000 jobs in November, it doesn’t mitigate the 105,000 jobs that were lost in October. Layoffs have already surpassed 1 million by November, with more expected before the year ends. These are numbers not seen outside the layoffs from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Recession. 

This is not great news considering that we’re already in the midst of an affordability crisis. Recent polling has shown that nearly half of Americans struggle to afford their basic needs. Car repossessions and credit card defaults are rising at levels not seen since the Great Recession. There are also growing concerns about how many Americans are relying on buy now, pay later services to make larger purchases. 

Common sense would say that we’re in a recession, and if we had responsible leaders in D.C., there would probably be more aggressive action being taken to improve the Black unemployment rate and the economy at large. We’re in a K-shaped economy, though, which means things are great for the 1% but only getting worse for the rest of us. 

The economy is largely being propped up by speculative spending on AI, which many financial experts have begun calling a bubble. The federal government will likely only do something about the economy once that bubble bursts and the billionaires they work for need to be bailed out. 

SEE ALSO:

Black Women Affected Most In Latest Jobs Report

Unemployment Spike for Black Americans Signals Broader Economic Risks

Black Unemployment Is Not An Accident, It Is A Racial Purge

Ayanna Pressley Addresses Black Women’s Unemployment