Black Women Face Rising Job Loss and Lean on Each Other

Employment among Black women rose to a 7.8 percent unemployment rate by December 2025, and many midcareer and senior Black women have formed peer networks such as the Discord group 'Black Women Rising' to share leads, résumé help and mutual support.

Black women professionals have seen a notable decline in employment over the past year, and many have turned to peer networks for practical help and encouragement. In September, Nneka Obiekwe started a WhatsApp group called Black Women Rising to help out-of-work friends; it drew hundreds of members and later moved to Discord to handle heavy messaging. Data and experts report that the unemployment rate for Black women reached 7.8 percent by December 2025, and employment among Black women with bachelor’s degrees fell from 74 percent in 2024 to 71 percent in the first nine months of 2025. Researchers and interviewees point to a mix of factors, including federal workforce reductions, private-sector losses in professional and business services, a broader hiring slowdown and technology-related shifts. Key details: - A WhatsApp group called Black Women Rising was started in September and drew more than 500 members; organizers moved the community to Discord to manage daily channels for sharing leads and support. - The unemployment rate for Black women rose to 7.8 percent by December 2025, according to the reporting. - Employment for Black women with bachelor’s degrees declined from 74% in 2024 to 71% in the first nine months of 2025. - Valerie Wilson, a labor economist, noted federal layoffs and private-sector losses in fields like human resources and business services as contributors to the decline. - Many affected professionals described removing D.E.I. references from résumés, leaving corporate roles, taking different kinds of work, or starting consultancies and small businesses. Summary: The job losses have prompted shifts in career plans and the creation of peer-led networks that provide résumé feedback, job leads and emotional support. Undetermined at this time.