Black women professionals form support networks as employment falls

Black female professionals have seen a steep drop in employment over the last year and are turning to one another for support and job help. In September, consultant Nneka Obiekwe started a WhatsApp group called Black Women Rising; more than 500 people joined within 24 hours and the group later moved to Discord to handle daily messages and channels such as “Share Your Good News” and “Vent Among Friends.” The decline has been sharp: the unemployment rate for Black women rose significantly from the start of 2025 to December, where it stood at 7.8 percent, and college‑educated Black women lost the most ground.

In 2024, 74 percent of Black women with bachelor’s degrees were employed; that rate fell to 71 percent in the first nine months of 2025, while the rate for employed white women with bachelor’s degrees fell less than one percentage point, according to the reporting. Valerie Wilson, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the decline was a ‘‘sharp and unique’’ drop and noted both federal cuts and private‑sector losses in professional and business services as factors in her analysis.

Members of Black Women Rising and other networks share résumé tips, interview updates and coping strategies. Some professionals said they are removing references to diversity, equity and inclusion work from résumés or hiding their race on applications.

Key Topics

Business, Black Women Professionals, Black Women Rising, Nneka Obiekwe, Economic Policy Institute, Affirmative Action