As the U.S. labor market shows signs of strain, new federal data indicates Black workers are experiencing rising unemployment at a faster pace than the workforce overall.
According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate for Black Americans climbed to 8.3% in November, marking its highest point since 2021.
In early 2025, conditions appeared more stable. In May, Black unemployment fell to 6.0%, its lowest rate of the year and 1.8 percentage points above the overall unemployment rate of 4.2%, according to BLS data. Since then, that gap has steadily grown. By November, the unemployment rate for Black workers was 3.7 percentage points higher than that of the total U.S. workforce, per the BLS.
Job losses among Black workers have also outpaced those of the general population. NBC News reports that while the overall unemployment rate increased by 0.4% from May to November 2025, the unemployment rate for Black workers rose by 2.3%.
The broader employment picture points to a cooling economy. The BLS reported the U.S. added 64,000 jobs in November, following a revised loss of 105,000 jobs in October. The figures reflect slower momentum compared with earlier in the year, when monthly job gains were stronger.
Within the data, Black women have experienced some of the steepest employment losses. The Center for American Progress (CAP) reports that Black women’s unemployment rose to 7.1% in November, up from 5.4% in January. This increase stands out against relatively stable conditions for white workers, whose unemployment rate has hovered near an average of 3.7% during the first half of the year, per CAP.
CAP analysts noted, per the report, that the familiar pattern sometimes described as “last hired, first fired” may be emerging again, reflecting unequal labor market outcomes across racial and ethnic groups as economic conditions tighten.
The data has drawn attention from policymakers. Following the release of the September jobs report, which showed a 7.5% unemployment rate for Black women, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) called on the Federal Reserve to consider the impact of its economic policies on Black women and other workers facing elevated unemployment.
In a lengthy statement, Pressley said, “These numbers are damning and confirm what we’ve long known to be true: under Donald J. Trump, Black women continue to face a crisis of disproportionately high unemployment — a direct result of Trump’s reckless mass firings, a growing affordability crisis, and relentless attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives. As the primary breadwinners for many households, Black women are the backbones of our families and our economy, and their systematic pushout not only has dangerous consequences for Black women, Black families, Black futures — it is also a glaring red flag for the entire U.S. economy.”
She further added, “The occupant of the White House must end his racist and fiscally irresponsible economic policies that are destabilizing our communities and harming our economy. The Department of Labor must continue to collect and publish monthly job numbers. And the Federal Reserve must take urgent action to address this crisis. We cannot and will not allow Trump and Republicans’ anti-Black, anti-woman agenda to erase Black women and our contributions from the workforce.”
