The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Immigrants, women, and Black people are exiting the workforce
Immigrant workers aren’t the only ones leaving the workforce. Black employment has dropped as well. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report from August 1, 7.2% of Black Americans are unemployed compared with 4.2% of the general population. This is almost a 1% increase from the previous year, when 6.3% were unemployed.
In addition, a record number of women have left the nation’s workforce this year. According to a National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) review of monthly releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since January a net 338,000 women have left the labor force. During the same period, there was a net gain of 183,000 men in the labor force.