FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2026

Contact: media@iwpr.org

The Jobs Report for April 2026 was released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The following is a statement from Kate Bahn, PhD, chief economist and senior vice president of research at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), on what the current report reveals about the larger economy and its impact on women and families. 

Black women’s unemployment rose to 6.5 percent in April, according to today’s BLS Jobs Report. This extended labor instability threatens both Black women’s economic security and the overall economy’s well-being.

Black women’s unemployment is twice that of White women’s, with the ratio increasing to 2.0 from 1.8 the previous month, highlighting the disproportionate vulnerability of Black women in the labor market. (See graph below of unemployment rates by race and ethnicity.)

Adding to the potential instability for all workers, job growth continues to be dominated by only a few industries. Employment in the education and health services sectors grew the most, with 43,000 jobs added for women. But the pace of job growth in health care has been decreasing in the last year and a half.

Another concerning trend is the rise in the number of discouraged workers over the last year, with a 15.5 percent increase in women workers who have not sought or have stopped seeking work in four weeks. In the last year, the number of women out of the labor force who want a job has increased by 9.6 percent, nearly double that of men (5.4 percent). If women continue to be discouraged and leave the labor force, our entire economy will be worse off.

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The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is the nation’s leading think tank working to win economic equity for all women. Through evidence-based research, policy solutions, and advocacy, IWPR is advancing the power and well-being of women across the US. Learn more at IWPR.org.