Latest news

As unemployment continues to rise among Black workers, particularly Black women , Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) is urging Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to address troubling new jobs data showing a disproportionate spike in Black unemployment. In a letter sent Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, Pressley called on the Fed to uphold its mandate to maximize employment and requested detailed data on the impact Black women’s employment, or lack thereof, has on the labor market. Pressley noted that 6.7% of Black women were unemployed in August — well above the national average of 4.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “This disparity should not go overlooked as unemployment of Black women is a key metric of the health of the U.S. economy,” Pressley wrote. The trend follows months of elevated unemployment rates that had already raised concerns among economists. As AFROTECH™ reported in July, Black women faced nearly 6% unemployment — the third consecutive month of high rates....