Over 300,000 Black women have been pushed out of the workforce in recent months, and the numbers keep getting worse (not to mention it’s a figure that’s raising alarms among advocates and economists alike).
In April alone, more than 106,000 Black women lost their jobs. The unemployment rate for Black women jumped from 5.1 percent to 6.1 percent in a single month while the national rate stayed near 4.2 percent. By now it’s climbed to 7.5%, and the gap between Black women and everyone else is widening faster than it has since 2020.
Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors, says what’s happening isn’t just bad luck or market forces. “We’re witnessing a convergence of systemic inequities made worse by policy decisions that have rolled back hard won progress,” she says.
She points to companies quietly abandoning DEI commitments, massive federal workforce cuts, and small businesses struggling under tariffs and tight credit. Black women are concentrated in public service, nonprofits, and care work—sectors that have been hit hardest. “When you dismantle departments like Education and HUD, which have long employed large numbers of Black women, and weaken nonprofits that depend on government grants, you’re not just cutting jobs, you’re cutting stability, security, and pathways to advancement,” Boykin-Towns says. “What we’re seeing is not just personal choice but systemic disinvestment.”
What’s at stake
For decades, public sector jobs gave Black women something the private sector often didn’t: stability, benefits, pensions, a real shot at building wealth. These positions also meant representation in institutions that shape education policy, housing, and civil rights enforcement. When we lose those jobs the impact reaches far beyond individual households.
“It’s not only the workers who suffer but entire communities feel the strain,” Boykin-Towns says. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has been pushing the Federal Reserve to disaggregate employment data by race and gender to make these disparities more visible. The economic ripple effects are real. When Black women lose income, consumer spending drops, local tax bases shrink, public services get strained. That means fewer resources for the same communities that already face chronic underfunding.
“Ensuring Black women’s economic stability isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s an economic necessity for a stronger, more resilient America,” Boykin-Towns says.
The NAACP is responding with a Virtual Career Fair on October 15, partnering with TalentAlly to connect job seekers with employers. Over 1,350 people have registered so far, a number that reflects how urgent the situation has become. “The current economic climate has devastated Black economic progress. It’s imperative that we provide solutions,” says Keisha Bross, the NAACP’s Director of Inclusive Economy. Employers will be ready to make offers during the event, and the platform is designed to reach the NAACP’s 2.8 million members.
The National Council of Negro Women is hosting a similar fair on October 22, targeting former federal workers who got caught in the wave of layoffs. “This type of collaboration reflects what real community resilience looks like…turning advocacy into action,” Boykin-Towns says.
The DEI debate
Bross argues the backlash against diversity initiatives is being used to obscure what’s really driving job losses. “Politicians have hijacked the ‘DEI’ narrative to explain economic dislocation in a changed economy,” she says. “Industrialists that move jobs offshore, or want to divert attention from poor business practices, have used diversity, equity, and inclusion as a scapegoat.”
She notes that white women have actually benefited most from DEI programs, and the lack of women and minorities in leadership positions suggests these initiatives are still needed. When it comes to the scale of job losses among Black women, Bross is blunt: “As the expert in racial equity and the economy, the 300k+ women laid off in the workforce in 2025 is intentional.”
The NAACP is asking companies to commit to diverse hiring and leadership, DEI procurement plans, corporate philanthropy focused on equity, and publishing diversity data. “Most Americans believe in fairness,” Bross says. “Corporate America should reflect the racial diversity of America because Americans are employees and consumers.”
Beyond calling out hypocrisy, Bross and the NAACP are urging companies to put real money and accountability behind their promises.
Bross also acknowledges that too many companies treated DEI as a slogan instead of doing the actual work. “Too often, companies have used diversity, equity, and inclusion as a slogan instead of investing in people as they should,” she says. Still, the organization maintains that walking away from these commitments now would undo years of progress and trust.
The organization plans to host more job fairs through 2026, focusing on tech positions and jobs with livable wages. Their partnership with TalentAlly includes building a job board that highlights employers committed to equitable hiring. They’re also thinking beyond immediate job placement to longer-term economic empowerment, though the details on entrepreneurship and leadership development programs are still taking shape.
“Economic rights are civil rights,” Boykin-Towns says, connecting this moment to the NAACP’s history of fighting for fair employment since the Great Depression. The organization has been advocating for fair labor laws, pay equity, and anti-discrimination protections for nearly a century. This crisis is just the latest battle in that ongoing fight.
For the Black women dealing with sudden job loss right now—figuring out how to pay rent, keep insurance, support their families—the career fair and job board are tangible resources in a moment when options feel scarce. Whether these solutions will be enough to shift the larger system remains to be seen. But naming the problem, demanding accountability, and mobilizing a response is how real change begins.