The future of work is no longer a distant idea — it’s here. Automation, artificial intelligence, remote work, and the green economy are redefining the workforce, and at breakneck speed. For the communities we serve and partner with, this moment presents both a challenge and a huge opportunity. The question is: will we be passengers or drivers of this transformation?
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In the aftermath of mass layoffs in 2025, many Black women are turning uncertainty into opportunity by launching businesses, strengthening professional networks and being innovative. Through resilience, creativity and community support, they are carving paths to stability and success in a shifting economy.
A new report released by Black Women Organized for Political Action through its Training Institute for Leadership Enrichment (BWOPA-TILE) and Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) is shedding new light on the barriers Black women and Latinas face in California’s health care workforce — and the steps advocates say are needed to close those gaps.
In 1917, A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen launched The Messenger, a pro-labor, anti-war magazine that connected racism to exploitation and demanded justice for Black workers. Two years later, the federal government responded with tactics of targeted censorship—surveillance, harassment and threats of prosecution—and branded a small Black labor magazine “the most dangerous” publication in the country simply for encouraging Black workers to organize.
Black unemployment surged to 7.5 percent by December 2025, a level that would signal a recession if it were reflected across the national workforce. But the latest “State of the Dream 2026” report makes clear the damage extends far beyond jobs. From broadband access and housing to artificial intelligence and federal workforce policy, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies finds that 2025 marked a sharp economic breakdown for Black America driven by policy reversals and the removal of long-standing safeguards.
The U.S. labor market showed further signs of strain in November, with new federal data revealing rising unemployment, steep losses in government jobs, and worsening conditions for Black workers, particularly Black men, according to an analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report and a review by the National Women’s Law Center.
A new initiative launching in early 2026 aims to help Black women across Southern California build careers, break job barriers, and reclaim economic power.
A new report from the Brookings Institution warns that the nation’s job market may be entering a period of instability that could worsen racial and economic disparities. While the overall unemployment rate held steady between June 2024 and June 2025, joblessness among Black workers rose by more than half a percent.
With the federal government shutdown grinding on, the nation’s economic picture is collapsing into silence and uncertainty. For the first time in decades, there is no official monthly employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — the same agency many now say can no longer be trusted after the White House moved to control its data release following a weak jobs report earlier this year. In the vacuum, private firms have stepped forward with independent analyses that show the country losing jobs and faith at the same time.
President Trump likes to say he is delivering for working people. He promised on the campaign trail that he would protect “Black jobs.” But like so many of his promises, it is an empty one. In fact, we have been living with the effects of Trump’s policies since he took office in January and the only thing he has delivered for us is employment uncertainty and financial insecurity. The July jobs report that came out last week is starting to reflect that.
The U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, continuing a three-month trend of sluggish growth, according to the latest data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent, with little movement across key sectors.
In April, employers in the United States added 175,000 jobs, signaling a slower but steady pace of labor market growth. According to the latest Labor Department report, this is the 27th consecutive month the unemployment rate has remained below 4 percent.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 6 that American employers added 336,000 jobs last month while the unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent.
The Great Recession left a lasting impact on the American economy, especially in the housing market. The subprime mortgage crisis, which ravaged the housing industry from 2007 to 2010, resulted in the widespread devaluation of residential homes and discouraged builders from investing in new housing construction. As a consequence, the number of new housing construction starts plummeted, and the repercussions of the recession continue to be felt in the construction industry to this day.
Home improvement retailer Home Depot is facing a civil rights lawsuit filed by Larry and Denise Boggs, disabled African American veterans, who claim the company purposefully discriminated against them and denied them services based on their race and disabilities.
In 2022, the economy proved as volatile as ever, with less disposable income and greater unpredictability.
By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent In December, the United States added 223,000 jobs, exceeding expectations…
Josh Wright runs a small eCommerce business that helps consumers get good deals on cell phones and plans but doesn’t believe employers should demand everyone return to the office.
Anyone looking for a new job, new job training, or certification for specific job categories can go to the Bakersfield…
