Op-Ed: 300,000 Black Women Left Or Were Pushed Out Of The Workforce

It is distressing that in a single quarter, more than 300,000 Black women left or were pushed out of the workforce, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In other words, within a mere 90 days, hundreds of thousands of heads of households, parents, caregivers, and contributors to the local economy lost their livelihoods. Many lost their jobs due to cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Add the 300,000 Black women who recently lost their jobs to the more than 518,000 Black women who have not returned to the workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic, and you’ll have a fuller picture of the economic devastation facing Black women and Black families. For instance, the unemployment rate for Black women is over 6.4%. The national average is 4.1%.

Those of us with even a rudimentary understanding of labor statistics note that monthly labor data doesn’t include those who have given up looking for work. It merely tracks those who report being unemployed week over week. This means unemployment figures for Black women may be higher.

And yet, I’ve seen very few broadcast or print stories profiling these women, or highlighting how they’re processing federal cuts and job loss. In fact, there have been few humanizing stories that illustrate the painful choices facing these women. What is more, in the instances where broadcast or cable networks have reported on this story, the people interviewed are rarely working-class Black women. For this reason, I question whether the nation has a true picture of who is impacted.

Those of us who have lived in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, where many of the cuts were concentrated, have an idea of who is affected. I imagine that the impacted Black women have worked for the federal government for years, take pride in a job well done, contribute to their local economy, are raising or have raised families, and want to make a difference. But I would love to see more coverage that illustrates who these women are and how they are coping with the cuts.

And even if we can’t see their faces, we can see our own. This is key because all of us will be impacted by the policies that have led to these and other cuts. What is more, the decline in Black women’s labor force participation in the last three months alone has resulted in a 37 billion drop in the Gross Domestic Product, according to gender economist Katica Roy.

This news is paired in intensity with the devastating gender pay gap. Black women working full-time, year-round are paid 66 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men. In more ways than one, the revelation of the hundreds of thousands of Black women who are no longer in the workforce hurts.

While some Black women have or will pursue entrepreneurial ventures, others will not. But even entrepreneurship is not a silver bullet if the business does not scale or grow.

While some Black women may have accepted early retirement offers, most did not. The vast majority of Black women who lost their jobs in the last quarter will have fewer resources to care for themselves and their families, contribute to the local economy, fund their retirement, or pass on generational wealth. Many will need assistance with health care, child care, education, and other supports at the exact time the federal government is cutting those lifeline resources.

What is more, in the United States at least, Black women are often a source of derision. The mansosphere hates women but reserves a particular disdain for Black women. Just consider the memes circulating on social media any given week. When a person wants to make fun of Black culture, they don a ridiculous dress, throw on a messy wig, apply copious amounts of lipstick and make a mockery out of our existence.

Whether by intent or impact, Black women continue to suffer disproportionately in terms of economic mobility, pay equity, health disparities and so many other markers of well-being. Our plight isn’t offset by the fact that Black women are among the most educated demographics in the nation.

Persons who want to see the nation do well must see this data as a beckoning call for gender and race-conscious policies. If policy is race-neutral, I fear it will explicitly harm marginalized communities. That won’t move the nation forward, as our fates are intertwined. Black women may feel the pain of cuts first, but we are often a harbinger of what is to come for others.

Now is the time to make all of our community whole, including Black women. There simply is no other way.

Jennifer R. Farmer is the author of “First and Only: A Black Woman’s Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life,” and founder of the social justice public relations firm, Spotlight PR LLC.

SEE ALSO:

Unemployment Rate Remained Stubbornly High For Black Women In June

Gender Pay Gap Still Alive In 2025 Across Sectors, New Study Shows