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While the national unemployment rate held steady last month, Black women suffered the most significant job losses, pushing their unemployment rate to a five-month high, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In April, Black women lost 38,000 jobs, and the number of unemployed rose by 106,000. Their jobless rate jumped to 6.1%, up sharply from 5.1% in March. The figures mark the largest monthly spike among any demographic group.
Data from HBCU Money, a digital economic platform, confirms that employment among Black women has dropped to a five-month low, with the number of unemployed reaching its highest level during the same period.
In contrast, unemployment rates for other groups remained unchanged: White women stayed at 3.3%, and Hispanic women at 4.6%. Meanwhile, Black men saw a slight improvement, with unemployment falling to 5.6%, down from 6.1%.
Overall, Black unemployment rose to 6.3%, marking the third consecutive monthly increase—even as the national rate held at 4.2%.
Experts: Cuts to DEI and Federal Jobs Are Driving Losses
Economists say the sharp rise in Black women’s unemployment is directly linked to workforce cuts and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
“This is demonstrably damaging to the Black community—something we have not seen before,” said William Michael Cunningham, an economist and founder of Creative Investment Research, in an interview with Black Enterprise. “The unusual nature of this increase in Black women’s unemployment is a direct result of the anti-DEI and anti-Black focus of the new administration’s policies.”
Cunningham noted that Black women—who make up a significant share of the federal workforce—are being hit especially hard as federal employment continues to decline. The federal government lost 9,000 jobs in April alone, and 26,000 since January.
Employment in industries like retail and hospitality—which employ large numbers of Black women—has also slowed, compounding the problem.
DEI Backlash Fuels Job Losses
Senior Brookings Institution fellow Andre M. Perry said the elimination of DEI programs and cuts to federal jobs are contributing factors.
“The layoffs at the federal level where Black people are more represented, the impacts of the tariffs—particularly on small businesses that hire Black women—and just the overall use of DEI as a slur… all of these factors are probably at play,” Perry told Bloomberg.
As DEI programs are scaled back due to political pressure and litigation, jobs tied to those initiatives are disappearing. These roles once served as entry points or advancement paths for many Black women in government and corporate spaces.
Despite the economy adding 177,000 jobs overall in April, economists say those gains are not reaching everyone. Advocates warn that without intentional policy intervention, the recovery will continue to leave behind groups already disadvantaged by systemic barriers.
