Black Unemployment Is Surging Again. This Time Is Different.

[RamsayBolton]

https://nytimes.com/2025/10/12/business/economy/black-unemployment-federal-layoffs-diversity-initiatives.html

Joblessness for Black workers is rising again, two years after reaching a record low. It’s a troubling indicator: Joblessness often spikes higher for historically marginalized groups during economic downturns, and takes longer to fall.
This time, the Trump administration’s assault on diversity programs and cuts to the federal work force could make it even more difficult for Black workers to recover when conditions improve.

The African American unemployment rate has surged over the past four months, from 6 to 7.5 percent, while the rate for white people ticked down slightly to 3.7 percent. On top of a slowing economy, the White House’s actions have disproportionately harmed Black workers, economists said.

In 2023, conditions for Black workers looked as healthy as ever. Unemployment reached a low of 4.8 percent. Wages rose at their fastest pace since data collection began in the 1990s, and median Black household wealth reached the highest level on record.
Conditions started to deteriorate in 2024 after pandemic-era subsidies expired. Hiring slowed, and high prices weighed heavily on low-income earners. Black households were the only racial group last year in which median income fell and the poverty rate rose, according to the Census Bureau.

“I was hoping that the commitment to investing in America, so that a broader set of Americans were actually receiving benefits in terms of low unemployment and higher wages, would continue,” said Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank focused on issues affecting Black Americans. He said he was particularly disappointed in large businesses that said they would support Black workers in response to protests for racial justice in 2020, only to pull back.

Job losses are concentrated among Black women working in professional services such as human resources, according to Ms. Wilson’s analysis of federal data. A hiring freeze and mass layoffs in the federal work force, which have continued during the government shutdown and now exceed 200,000, have also fallen disproportionately on Black workers.

The federal backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion practices may be making it more difficult for Black workers to get hired in the private sector, too. Some of the strongest evidence for the efficacy of these practices, such as making sure to interview nonwhite candidates or reaching out to Black and Hispanic students, come from federal contractors. In one of its first actions, the Trump administration ordered that group not to pursue racial equity anymore.

And despite Mr. Trump’s claim on the campaign trail that immigrants take jobs from Black people, rising joblessness among Black workers suggests that mass deportations of migrants haven’t arrested the trend.

"Both Sides"

"Kamala is indian"

"DEI is for white women only"

New favorite: "This has always happened to us so it doesn't matter"

 

[King Poetic]

This video is all you need to know

We are no longer wanted/needed

 

[benjamin]

a black youtuber i watch talks about being denied a job interview because of his name (jamal), so he re-applield under "Dave" and got the interview...when he showed up the interview hit the and told him the job had been taken...two days later he re-applied for the same position under "Tom" and got the interview

 

[AceAge]

So? Nobody cares. Find a way to make money.

 

[Seoul Gleou]

This has always happened to us it doesnt matter that kamala was a dei indian who played #bothsides

 

[RennisDeynolds]

a black youtuber i watch talks about being denied a job interview because of his name (jamal), so he re-applield under "Dave" and got the interview...when he showed up the interview hit the and told him the job had been taken...two days later he re-applied for the same position under "Tom" and got the interview

I always wanted to try this shyt. But I was worried for this reason

 

[ORDER_66]

why are people mad that that kamala didnt get in?!? last time i checked black folks voted for her like 80-90% the problem lies in other groups that voted for trump. thats democracy in action...

 

[⠀X ⠀]

why are people mad that that kamala didnt get in?!? last time i checked black folks voted for her like 80-90% the problem lies in other groups that voted for trump. thats democracy in action...

Before the election, we said that if she lost, Black men would be to blame, despite most of us voting for her. Somehow 6 percent of the population can choose the president…

 

[Strapped]

 

[Wild self]

Before the election, we said that if she lost, Black men would be to blame, despite most of us voting for her. Somehow 6 percent of the population can choose the president…

Never heard of battleground swing states of the south and Midwest?

But TLR thinks that it is black people destiny to suffer and work in minimum wage jobs that illegals work in, for Trump is the real master

 

[Wiseborn]

Before the election, we said that if she lost, Black men would be to blame, despite most of us voting for her. Somehow 6 percent of the population can choose the president…

true but if you cannot be blamed you cannot tip the outcome in any way so all the Pro and Anyi Democrat or republican talk doesn't make sense we can't move the needle and what we want doesn't matter.

 

[ORDER_66]

Before the election, we said that if she lost, Black men would be to blame, despite most of us voting for her. Somehow 6 percent of the population can choose the president…

the coli always blaming black folks for her losing its wild. but no snoke for them hispanics and white women they always leave them out. but bothsiders are to blame

 

[Wiseborn]

Never heard of battleground swing states of the south and Midwest?

But TLR thinks that it is black people destiny to suffer and work in minimum wage jobs that illegals work in, for Trump is the real master

I can't see why Black people would be so up in arms. Never seen an Asian overly concerned with illegal migration.

 

[Wild self]

the coli always blaming black folks for her losing its wild. but no snoke for them hispanics and white women they always leave them out. but bothsiders are to blame

@TAYLONDO SAMSWORTHY

 

[ItWasMeThough]

a black youtuber i watch talks about being denied a job interview because of his name (jamal), so he re-applield under "Dave" and got the interview...when he showed up the interview hit the and told him the job had been taken...two days later he re-applied for the same position under "Tom" and got the interview

I did this once after graduating college. Got rejected for a job and then applied to the very same job using a fake resume with less experience with a stock photo of some white girl, and got an interview. SMH. I confronted them too and they ignored my ass, lmao.