Black women’s unemployment has skyrocketed. Here’s what happened.
On any normal month in any normal year Black women’s unemployment rate is twice the rate of White women, which economists credit in large part to pervasive discrimination. But here is what was new to 2025: The economy was softening from the explosive growth it experienced coming out of the pandemic. Unemployment rates started to creep up again for everyone, and industries added fewer jobs than years prior. When that happens, employers have a wider candidate pool to choose from and discrimination becomes more widespread, said Jasmine Tucker, the vice president for research at the National Women’s Law Center.
“When there’s more people looking for work, employers can be choosier. Who are they choosing? People who look like them, think like them, talk like them,” Tucker said.