While the nation is celebrating its economic recovery due to the epidemic, the February 2022 jobs report demonstrates that recovery is not occurring for all Americans.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment among Black women jumped from 5.8 percent to 6.1 percent between January and February, while the rate for other groups decreased.
Additionally, Black men and women aged 20 and over experience a greater unemployment rate than men and women in general.
According to the most recent job report, there are an expected one million fewer women aged 20 and over in working in February 2020. There are 513,000 more males in the workforce than two years ago.
“Even with that robust jobs report, we continue to witness the she-imprint cessions and the unique effect that Black women have had during the epidemic,” Emily Martin, vice president for workplace and education at the National Women’s Law Center, told Business Insider.
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According to the employment report, Black women’s labor force participation rate –– or the percentage of persons actively seeking work –– fell in February.
“This is one of the indicators that Black women are not benefiting from the robust recovery,” Kathryn Zickuhr, labor market policy analyst at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, told the site.
Though pinpointing specific reasons why Black women leave the profession is difficult, Zickuhr underlined the institutional racism inherent in businesses’ recruiting procedures and even layoff choices. Pay inequality also has a significant role, researchers indicated.
“Companies should understand this and implement wage fairness for women, as more women enter the workforce,” Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said.
On average, Black women have a greater burden of school debt, are frequently the financial support system for family, and yet earn less than white men and women.
