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. The rate rose from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April, peaking at 6.2% in May before dropping slightly to 5.8% in June.

“Black women are more likely than any demographic group to be enrolled in higher education, represent the highest-growing group of entrepreneurs, and disproportionately serve as breadwinners for our families,” Pressley wrote, referring to data from the Center for American Progress.

“When coupled with the fact that job openings and hires decreased overall since July 2024, you should see the current economic outlook as a glaring red flag that forebodes danger for the entire country,” she added.

Pressley cited mass federal workforce layoffs and ongoing attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, which have escalated under President Donald Trump’s administration, as compounding factors that have disproportionately harmed Black women.

As AFROTECH™ reported, Black women make up 12% of federal workers — compared to 7% of the overall job market — and are overrepresented in agencies hit hardest by cuts, such as the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

Between February and March, 266,000 Black women (2.5%) lost jobs, marking the largest drop since mid-2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past year, Black women in federal jobs declined by an estimated 33%, compared to just a 3.7% drop in the overall federal workforce. In April, they lost 38,000 jobs — more than any other demographic — while their unemployment rose by 106,000, AFROTECH™ noted.

“The Trump Administration is harming the economy by causing the labor market to lose the wealth of knowledge, innovation, and skill that Black women have contributed to this nation,” Pressley wrote in her letter. “It is incumbent upon the Federal Reserve to adjust its approach to ensuring a fair economy in the face of fiscally irresponsible policies from the White House.”

She requested a response by Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, including a detailed plan outlining how the Fed intends to address the rising unemployment rate among Black women.

“It is undeniable that Black women contribute significantly to this nation and this nation’s economy,” Pressley added.