Trump-Era Federal Cuts Drive 300,000 Black Women Out of Workforce in Just 3 Months, Report Finds

In a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in just three months, nearly 300,000 Black women have exited the U.S. labor force, pushing their participation rate below that of Latinas for the first time in over a year. More than 518,000 have yet to return since the pandemic, leaving a real unemployment rate above 10%. Gender economist Katica Roy calls it what it is: “This isn’t a coincidence. It’s the result of federal policy choices.”

Public-sector downsizing has hit Black women the hardest. With more than 12% of the federal workforce made up of Black women — nearly double their share of the overall labor force — job cuts in agencies like the Department of Education and Health and Human Services, where staff reductions have reached 50%, have been devastating. “These are not just institutional losses,” Roy explains. “They represent the disappearance of stable, often well-paying jobs that historically provided economic security.”

These cuts ripple across state and local levels, gutting public school and health department jobs — roles primarily held by Black women. Compounding the crisis, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been systematically dismantled in both public and private sectors. DEI roles were among the first slashed under the current administration, and corporate job postings for DEI positions dropped by 43% over the last two years. “Companies have scaled back mentorship programs, slowed inclusive hiring, and deprioritized equity benchmarks,” the report says.

Broader policy failures are making things worse. Inflation disproportionately affects women — especially Black women — with the gender pricing gap raising costs for essentials while they still earn just $0.64 for every dollar paid to white men. The student debt burden hits Black women especially hard, with 57% struggling to meet basic expenses. And while automation is eliminating roles, Black women are largely excluded from tech jobs that are shaping the future economy.

“This is not just a mismatch. It’s a structural exclusion,” the report states. With 51% of Black households with children led by working mothers, these losses affect housing, education, and the national GDP. Roy warns, “When Black women are pushed out of the labor force, we all lose.” The solution? Policy that actively restores, protects, and invests in their economic security.

Link: MSNBC