At A Glance
- Black unemployment has risen for two straight months, now at 7.5%.
- Economists say the gap between Black and white unemployment is widening.
- Critics blame Trump’s tariffs, federal job cuts, and tax policies.
- Black women have been hit hardest, with over 300,000 jobs lost since Trump’s return.
Black Jobless Rate Climbs to 7.5%
The unemployment rate for Black Americans climbed for a second straight month, reaching 7.5% in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That marks the highest level since October 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the steepest figure in eight years when pandemic-related job losses are excluded.
Angela Hanks, Chief of Policy Programs at The Century Foundation and former Department of Labor official, called the numbers alarming. “Black unemployment is now at a rate that would represent a crisis if it were the overall unemployment rate,” she said.
Gap Between Black and White Unemployment Widens
The broader U.S. unemployment rate also rose to 4.3%, with only 22,000 new jobs created in August. But advocates warn that Black workers are being disproportionately left behind.
“Black unemployment is often routinely double white unemployment, but the gap had been narrowing since the pandemic,” Hanks explained. “This jobs report concerningly shows that gap is widening, with rising Black unemployment disproportionately driving that gap.”
Critics Point to Trump’s Economic Agenda
Criticism of President Donald Trump’s economic policies was swift. Julie Su, senior fellow at The Century Foundation and former acting Labor secretary, said, “Donald Trump’s War on Workers may be playing well with his billionaire buddies, but it’s leaving everyone else less stable, less secure, and poorer.”
Democratic strategists argue Trump’s tariffs and sweeping cuts to the federal workforce have particularly harmed Black women. Joel Payne, a longtime Democratic strategist, noted that 300,000 Black women have lost jobs since Trump returned to office, many due to cuts targeting federal positions tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“That builds on over half a million Black women who have not returned to the workforce since the pandemic,” Payne said. “He wasn’t building this economy for Black workers, and I think we’re seeing the result of that.”
Economic Inequities Deepen Under Trump
Hanks warned that Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”—a law slashing taxes for the wealthy while cutting health care and social assistance funding—will leave major industries “deeply vulnerable.”
Payne said the struggles facing Black workers are not surprising, adding that Democrats predicted these outcomes during the 2024 campaign. “The only way to push back on this economic reality is to ensure Democrats win back Congress in 2026 to put a check on Donald Trump,” he said.
