Pressley Has Sounded the Alarm on Pushout of Black Women from Workforce Under Trump, Demanded Action from Federal Reserve

Unemployment for Black Women is Now at 7.5%, Alarming Spike from 6.7% Reported Month Prior

Roundtable | Press Conference | Photos

BOSTON – As the unemployment rate for Black women continues to rise, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and YW Boston convened Black women, economists, civil rights leaders, and community members for an urgent discussion about the unemployment crisis facing Black women and its impact in Massachusetts and beyond. The roundtable and press conference followed the Trump Administration’s release of the September jobs report, which revealed a 7.5% unemployment rate for Black women—an alarming spike from the 6.7% unemployment rate following the August jobs report and well above the 4.4% national rate.

In Congress, Rep. Pressley has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States and called on the Federal Reserve to take action. This week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement after the Trump Administration finally released the September jobs report.

“Black women in Massachusetts and across the country are facing a shameful crisis of high unemployment that has everything to do with the racist and fiscally irresponsible economic policies of the Trump White House,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “This is not just a crisis for Black women—it’s an alarming indicator of the state of our economy that has dangerous consequences for Black women, Black families, and Black futures. Our policy response must always be informed by those directly impacted, which is why I was proud to convene this timely discussion. I am grateful to the women and leaders who joined us.”

Among those joining Congresswoman Pressley at the convening were Secretary Lauren Jones, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor & Workforce Development; Lori Nelson, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Boston; Aba Taylor, President & CEO, YW Boston; Alyssa Benalfew-Ramos, Chief of Policy, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts; economist and award-winning author Anna Gifty; Theresa Alphonse; Sonya Dhanpat; Helen Joseph, LMHC; and others.

We the canaries ask you to look at who is struggling and who is thriving right now? Who are getting bigger paychecks and who are living check to check? Who are remodeling their big houses and who are trying to figure out how to get food on the table? In all these instances, women and people of color, and Black women in particular (as the canaries in the coal mine), are pawns in these destructive ideologies and systems that are specifically designed to keep most of us down, fighting against each other and turning away from each other. How easy is it to dismiss this unemployment crisis and turn our backs on women of color and especially Black women, because we have always been the punching bag for this country’s sins. What those in power are counting on is that society will ignore and dismiss the injustices of Black women, because we are Black women, not realizing that those same injustices are at everybody’s doorstep and already at the table for some.  If we want real progress, then we the canaries must sing and be heard. We help build this economy and we belong in this economy just like everyone else.  Until Black women and all women, people of color, immigrants, trans and gender expansive folks, those with different abilities, and all those who are pushed to margins can enjoy the birthrights of safety, security and mobility like everyone else, we are all at risk—because none of us are free until we are all free,” said Aba Taylor, President & CEO, YW Boston

“This is a fraught moment, and the rising unemployment rates among Black women are another important issue that demands our time, attention, and expertise,” said Nicole Obi, President and CEO of BECMA. “At BECMA, we understand that policy at the state and federal level can directly affect economic equity – and in our ten years – we’ve also come to know that discussion among community is a key driver in addressing these systemic barriers and identifying solutions. Thank you to Representative Pressley for your quick work convening women directly experiencing the economic and personal impact of these policies, as well as leaders at the forefront of initiatives alleviating that burden.” 

“What the current crisis demonstrates is that when the double tax-the compounded cost of racism and sexism- is left unaddressed, everyone suffers. There is no world where Black women lose and everyone else wins. Either we all win or we all lose. The decision is ours,” said Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, Award-Winning Economist and Author of The Double Tax

“Today’s roundtable made clear what many of us already know: when Black women are pushed out of the workforce, the impact on our mental health and the damage to the well-being of our families and communities is profound. Speaking today reminded me that the well-being of Black women must be at the center of both economic policy and organizational change. Protecting Black women at work and in business is essential to safeguarding our mental health and stability, and it is also critical to securing the future and strength of this nation,” said Helen Joseph, LMHC

“Today was stupendous. Any space where we gather is bound to connect us on an ancestral level. Today we questioned why so many Black women have such similar stories. As we dug deep, we concluded that we are not a monolith but ecosystems, holding our loved ones and communities down even when there is no solid ground. Black women deserve to be seen and soft,” said Sonya Dhanpat

“Today was a day of community and story telling. We want our stories to reach beyond this room and into the structures and systems that are being upheld to keep us out. We will keep speaking, sharing the data and talking about the effects that this attack on Black women is having on everyone in our ecosystem,” said Theresa Alphonse

Footage of the roundtable discussion is available here and footage of the press conference is available here. For photos from the event, click here.

In September, Congresswoman Pressley wrote to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sounding the alarm on the rising unemployment rate for Black women in the United States and demanding the Fed take immediate action to uphold its mandate of maximum employment for all. The Congresswoman’s letter comes as the Trump Administration’s mass federal workforce layoffs and anti-DEI policies disproportionately impact Black women and as Donald Trump attempts to seize control of the Fed by illegally firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

A copy of the Congresswoman’s letter is available here.

Later in September, Congresswoman Pressley convened a press conference with a coalition of Black women activists and civil rights leaders to continue sounding the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities.

• Building on the legacy of Black women in the civil rights movement, Rep. Pressley led a historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee.  
• In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on the issue of full employment and the Civil Rights history of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. Powell conceded, for the first time in Federal Reserve history and on the Congressional record, that the Fed alone cannot get the United States to full employment.
• Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker, is the lead co-sponsor of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.
• Rep. Pressley introduced the Equity in Government Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.
• Rep. Pressley has also called on the five largest banks in America to provide a detailed update on the racial equity commitments the institutions made following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
• Rep. Pressley was also a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates like the NAACP—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people.

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