This article originally appeared in UCLA Newsroom and is reprinted here in full with permission.
By Barbra Ramos
Key takeaways
- In 2025, the unemployment rate of Black Californians at 7.5% was twice that of those who were white.
- Black men in California without a high school diploma experienced the highest rate of unemployment at 15.9%.
- Black women with college degrees saw the largest increase in unemployment from the year before, more than tripling from 2.7% to 8.5%
- Based on their findings, the study’s researchers believe policymakers should take a multi-prong approach to ensure that California supports its residents during this difficult labor market.
Employment — a major marker and measure of quality of life — declined among Black Californians between 2024 and 2025, according to new research from the Black Policy Project, a research initiative of the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies.
In their latest biennial report in the State of Black California series, the team found that across all racial and ethnic groups, Black people had the largest single-year increase in unemployment, up from 5.6% in 2024 to 7.5% in 2025. The unemployment rate of Black Californians was double that of white Californians by the end of 2025, researchers found.
“These employment shifts are against a two-year backdrop of historic changes in federal action, closing of DEI offices, the attacks on affirmative action and higher education, etc.,” said lead author Michael Stoll, a professor of public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and faculty director of the Black Policy Project. “In this short period of time, we’ve found that many of the employment pathways that Black Californians have relied on have been significantly weakened or shut off entirely.”
The researchers discovered that increases in unemployment were sharpest among those who were younger (ages 18-34) and in the prime working age (35-54). When factoring in education and gender, two unemployment statistics stood out for 2025: Black men without a high school diploma experienced the highest rate of unemployment at 15.9%, while Black women with college degrees saw the largest unemployment increase, more than tripling, from 2.7% to 8.5%.
One driver that the authors attribute to the rise in unemployment for those with at least some level of higher education is the declining public sector, where Black Californians have historically held the highest share of jobs among all racial and ethnic groups. In particular, roles at state and municipal government agencies decreased, with unemployment losses for college-educated Black women driving the declines.
In addition, researchers found that the quality and conditions of work changed as more Black workers turned to involuntary part-time work, meaning they preferred full-time or had likely worked full-time previously. The involuntary part-time rate increased by ten percentage points, from 38.8% to 48.8%. Black men with a college degree saw the sharpest increase by 30 percentage points to 79.2%. When comparing age groups, older Black Californians saw the largest increase, rising from 27.0% to 40.0%, followed closely by those considered prime-age, who went from 48.7% to 60.6%.
Institutional disconnection — defined as not being employed or in school — was found to be up 3% for Black people in California, to 11.8%. Disconnection among Latinos was slightly higher at 12.0%, the highest among all races and ethnicities. The largest increase among Black Californians was seen for Black women, up 6.5 percentage points to 15.1%. Over a third of Black Californians with less than a high school diploma were disconnected last year, up almost six percentage points from 2024.
The findings are particularly alarming to researchers following the last report on the State of Black California, published in 2024, which provided a comprehensive analysis of the social and economic status of Black communities in the Golden State over a 20-year period. In that report, the researchers estimated it would take more than 248 years to close the gaps between Black and white Californians.
Based on their findings, the authors identified four areas of action to combat the impact of the changing labor market on Black Californians:
- Strengthen employment regulations and social safety nets, such as unemployment insurance and mandate anti-discrimination protections.
- Diversify pathways to quality employment, including apprenticeships and career paths that do not require advanced degrees.
- Continue investing in California’s public colleges and universities to expand access and pathways for success.
- Invest in Black-led organizations and initiatives supporting Black entrepreneurship to help cultivate community wealth and strengthen economic well-being.
“The path forward will require targeted, sustained action at the state, local and community levels,” said Stoll. “The work ahead demands urgency and commitment for a California that is stronger, more equitable and prosperous not just for some, but for all.”
Stoll presented the research at the State of Black California conference, held on April 10, 2026, at UCLA, with advocates, policy experts, elected officials, academic scholars and community-based leaders in attendance. The conference featured a wide array of elected, academic and cultural leaders as speakers, including California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, California Legislative Black Caucus Vice Chair Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, California Senator Laura Richardson, California Assemblymembers Sade Elhawary and LaShae Collins, MacArthur Fellow and David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences Dr. Safiya Noble, Chuck D, and Aloe Blacc. Hosted by the UCLA Bunche Center and the California Legislative Black Caucus, the all-day event provided a space for attendees to think critically and begin to develop solutions together on the issues that matter most and will help Black Californians thrive.
