BREAKING: Pressley Slams Latest Spike in Black Unemployment, Renews Demand for Federal Action

October 2, 2026 BREAKING: Pressley Slams Latest Spike in Black Unemployment, Renews Demand for Federal Action Black Unemployment Jumped to 7% in September, Up a Full Percentage Point and Nearly Double the 3.6% Rate for White Workers Pressley Has Consistently Sounded the Alarm on the Pushout of Black Women from the Workforce, Warned of Harm to Economy at Large, and Demanded Federal Action BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, condemned the latest jobs report, in which the unemployment rate among Black workers jumped to 7 percent in September, up a full percentage point from August and nearly double the 3.6 percent rate for white workers. Congresswoman Pressley has consistently sounded the alarm on the pushout of Black women from the workforce, warned of the harm to the American economy at large, and demanded federal action to confront this crisis. “The state of our economy is failing Black workers, families, and futures — and this is a damning reminder of that,” said Congresswoman Pressley in statement. “We need federal action to address this crisis. Secretary Bessent must release the report on the impact of Black unemployment, and the Federal Reserve must do its job to maximize employment for all.” Rep. Pressley has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States, called on the Federal Reserve to take action, and demanded Treasury Secretary Bessent analyze Black unemployment rates and release a report on the impact of Black unemployment on financial stability. In September 2026, Congresswoman Pressley convened an urgent and timely discussion about the Black unemployment crisis in America and the pushout of Black workers, especially Black women, from the workforce. In September 2026, Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced her historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee to help the United States achieve the promise of full employment, establish a more resilient and inclusive economy, and begin to close racial and gender income gaps. In July 2026, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman urged Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh to address the alarmingly high Black unemployment rate and uphold the Federal Reserve’s mandate for maximum employment. In May 2026, Rep. Pressley vehemently opposed Republican legislation that would strip the Federal Reserve’s mandate for maximum employment , emphasizing the Fed’s essential role in ensuring economic health, community well-being, and personal dignity in work especially under Trump’s unemployment crisis. During debate, Rep. Pressley combatted Republicans’ anti-worker legislation through four amendments affirming the importance of the Fed’s mandate for maximum employment. In March 2026, Reps. Pressley and Summer Lee (PA-12) introduced the Better Labor Statistics Act , or the BLS Act, legislation that would codify the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ mandate to report unemployment data publicly, online, and at the first Friday of each month to ensure transparency and accuracy in unemployment data collection. The BLS Act would also codify the publication of unemployment data broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, geography, and industry. In December 2025, Rep. Pressley and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke followed up to Rep. Pressley’s demands and wrote to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell demanding a briefing for members of the Congressional Black Caucus on how the Federal Reserve is responding to this growing crisis. In December 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls, Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), led 19 of their colleagues demanding the Department of Labor (DOL) take immediate action to address the rising unemployment crisis among Black women that has taken shape since the start of the second Trump Administration. In November 2025, Rep. Pressley 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. In September 2025, 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. In September 2025, 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 came amid the Trump Administration’s mass federal workforce layoffs and anti-DEI policies disproportionately impacting Black women and as Donald Trump attempted to seize control of the Fed by illegally firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. A copy of the Congresswoman’s letter is available here . ### Back to News Next Article Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email