The Workforce Crisis Hitting Black Women: AI, Layoffs, and DEI Rollbacks
Black Women’s unemployment rate has reached 7.3% in 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April, reached an all-time high of 6.2% in May, then dropped to 5.8% in June, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported by The 19th.
DEI and AI affecting Black women’s employability
Black women are more likely to be in departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, which have been targeted for cuts by DOGE. Additionally, they make up several DEI roles that have been terminated as a result of President Trump’s executive orders.
A survey conducted by Charter Works found that 53% of Black respondents are afraid of being replaced by AI in comparison to 39% of white respondents. Another 2019 McKinsey study estimated that AI would disrupt 4.5 million jobs held by Black Americans in 2030. It seems that those fears were valid. Black women are most likely to face layoffs due to the enforcement of AI in industries such as HR, service positions, and administration.
Why is this concerning?
Due to systemic racism and barriers in the labor market, Black workers always face the consequences of the economy first, which paints a picture of the overall financial market, according to Jessica Fulton, a senior fellow at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank focused on Black Americans.
Black women also face the longest periods of unemployment before finding another job, with the average waiting time being six months for the demographic group.
Image: WOCintech
