Stateline, October 3, 2025, Economists say job losses likely, even as shutdown delays report
Black unemployment, which has spiked from 4.8% in April 2023 to 7.5% in August, has likely increased again, said Joseph Dean, who monitors it for the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which encourages more investment in underserved communities.
“If there were a jobs report, I’d expect a rise in the Black unemployment rate,” Dean said. “It’s likely due to a combination of factors: federal layoffs earlier in the year, anti-DEI efforts, and now primarily, stagnation in industries that employ large numbers of Black workers — like transportation and professional/business services.”
