Cutbacks to DEI combined with federal layoffs drive unemployment higher for Black workers

Black workers, and particularly Black women, have double the rate of unemployment compared to white workers. A New York Times analysis found that, at the same time U.S. employers slashed DEI policies and job titles that are related to DEI, there were also massive layoffs of federal workers who are disproportionately Black. That has driven the unemployment rate to 7% for Black workers, nearly double the rate for white workers. The analysis calls this “cause for concern” both for Black Americans but also the larger economy, as higher unemployment rates among underrepresented groups can be a signal that the economy is weaker than general unemployment rates might suggest.