New report finds sharply rising rates of unemployment for Black Californians In the latest 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.
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.
Q&A with a graduating senior: Sophia Wang ’26 From UCLA to Amsterdam, Tokyo and beyond, Sophia Wang’s scholarship-supported journey is shaping a future in equitable urban planning.
Sophia Wang, who graduates this June with a public affairs major and a geography minor, really made the most of her time at UCLA.
Earning the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, she used her first summer of travel funding from it (with ten more to come) to study complex transportation planning at the Urban Cycling Institute in Amsterdam and to pursue a research internship in green gentrification patterns at the University of Tokyo.
Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she also earned the Miller/Shigemura Scholarship and served as a UCLA Policy Fellow at LA Civil Rights, URC HASS Research Scholar and the student outreach coordinator for the UCLA Center for Scholarships and Scholar Enrichment.
What are some of your favorite memories at UCLA?
There are many, but they include:
- Founding my own research organization at UCLA, and creating and hosting the first in-person Poster Day since COVID-19.
- Chatting with professors at office hours about anything from the political issues to how her son is Steve Kerr (shoutout Professor Ann Kerr)!
- Staying up late with my friends in Night Powell, grinding for finals and grabbing a sweet treat from Westwood afterwards.
What does it mean to you to have received scholarship support from donors?
It has relieved my burdens in buying school materials, finding housing, obtaining plane tickets to go home, groceries, etc. I am eternally grateful to these donors for shaping my experience at UCLA.
When I received the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service my sophomore year for my advocacy work on campus, it opened doors for me to study abroad in Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo. I never had the means to travel to these countries before, and that summer reaffirmed my ambitions to attend graduate school for urban planning.
I heard about this selective fellowship through the UCLA Center for Scholarships and Scholar Enrichment and encourage everyone to use their services.
Speaking of the CSSE, what makes it so special?
The people! The CSSE student affairs advisors, who are also English Ph.D. students, work individually with each and every Bruin to make sure that your story comes to light and to strengthen your case for winning scholarships. As someone who currently works at CSSE, I have seen this process firsthand and can vouch for the compassion that runs that center. We mentor students, provide them a listening ear and lead them toward the direction of scholarships!
What are your future plans?
I will be attending the University of Michigan for my master’s in urban and regional planning on a graduate student instructor scholarship, studying how we can build more equitable cities through public transit, green spaces and restorative justice.
What’s your best advice for future Bruins?
Don’t be afraid to explore and start over! Every quarter is a new chance for you to get better at a different thing, pick up a totally whack class, make a new friend or speak to a cool professor during their office hours. There are so many opportunities for you here at UCLA, but it’s up to you to seek them out.
New Center for Neighborhood Knowledge Analysis Undercuts “Worst of the Worst” Deportation Claims
A new report from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK), produced in partnership with Unseen, examines recent trends in federal immigration enforcement and finds a dramatic increase in ICE arrests, detentions and deportations of Latinos during the first 13 months of President Trump’s second administration.
The report “Latino ICE Arrests, Detentions, and Removals: Updates“ builds on previous CNK analyses and draws on federal immigration enforcement data from January 2024 through February 2026. Researchers found that Latino ICE arrests increased fivefold during that period, while Latino detentions peaked in December 2025 at more than three times the levels seen under the Biden administration.
According to the report, non-criminal immigrants increasingly became the focus of enforcement operations. Non-criminals represented 36% of Latino arrests, 33% of detentions and 32% of deportations under the Trump administration — significantly higher shares than in previous years. Meanwhile, the proportion of deportees categorized as violent offenders or “worst of the worst” declined substantially.
The report also highlights a major increase in community enforcement operations, including arrests in neighborhoods, workplaces and public spaces. Researchers found that nearly half of Latino arrests occurred through these highly visible interior enforcement tactics, contributing to a sharp rise in non-criminal detentions.
“This report shows a mass deportation apparatus targeting working people, families, and long-term community members with no criminal histories,” said CNK Director Paul Ong. “What we are witnessing is the normalization of an immigration system driven by volume, fear, and spectacle, not public safety.”
The report draws from data compiled by the Deportation Data Project, which is based at UCLA and UC Berkeley School of Law, and provides one of the most detailed analyses to date of immigration enforcement trends affecting Latino communities.
The full report is available here.
New toolkit helps communities prepare for heat Luskin Center for Innovation-led initiative offers practical guidance for local heat resilience planning and action
In March, an unexpected spring heatwave brought record temperatures to much of the western United States, prompting warnings in several states. This followed several summers of unprecedented heat across the country, and one message became clear: we must prepare for hotter days ahead.
But for many decision-makers and planners, this is a daunting task. While many heat-decision-making tools are available, communities often lack practical guidance on how to create heat action plans and, crucially, implement them to address the unique problems they face locally.
Not anymore. The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation-led Center for Heat Resilient Communities has made a significant step toward bridging this gap with a new toolkit that gives communities a step-by-step guide to pinpoint their needs and match them with evidence-based planning activities.
“Building Heat Resilient Communities: A Toolkit for Local Planning, Decision-Making, & Action” features:
- A primer on heat-related topics with definitions of key terms
- Guided activities to collect evidence and engage organizations and community groups in decision-making
- Integrated worksheets to support data organization and interpretation
- Tools to develop customized and locally relevant heat resilience strategies
The toolkit provides information on concepts such as heat exposure and vulnerability; cultural and equity considerations for heat resilience; and how to best involve and collaborate with community members.
We brought together leading researchers, practitioners, advocates, and federal agencies to create resources to help communities engage in more coordinated and effective responses to heat-health risks. This toolkit fills a critical gap for decision-makers who understand the urgency of preparing for a hotter future but need guidance on strategies tailored to their local needs.
The Center for Heat Resilient Communities was a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Integrated Heat Health Information System-funded initiative that brought together a network of more than 50 researchers, practitioners, and US communities to engage in local heat resilience planning. When the grant was suddenly canceled in May 2025, UCLA rushed into action along with co-leads Ladd Keith at the University of Arizona and Sara Meerow at Arizona State University.
“Minutes before we were due to announce participants for the center, we got the notice: no more funding,” said Zach Wampler, a project coordinator for the Luskin Center for Innovation. “But we couldn’t let these community partners down. This toolkit is part of our continued efforts to find ways to empower communities to develop local solutions to a shared problem. Moving forward, we will continue our commitment through a collaboration with the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center.”
How Public Affairs Helped Jesus Reyes Find His Voice and Community at UCLA With guidance from mentors and hands-on internships, Reyes is building a path toward a future in public service.
By Sheryl Samala
Jesus Reyes, a first-generation Latino from the San Fernando Valley, arrived at UCLA unsure of where he would find community. During his first year, he struggled to feel a sense of belonging. Originally a political science major, he ultimately found his place in public affairs, drawn to the program’s hands-on approach and focus on public policy.
Reyes credits Luskin’s undergraduate counselors with helping him navigate that transition. From guiding him through the application process to ensuring he stayed on track for graduation, the counseling team played a key role in shaping his academic and professional path.
“If it wasn’t for one of the counselors, Erika, I don’t think I would be where I am today,” says Reyes. “She motivates me to keep going.” He added that having mentors from similar backgrounds made a meaningful difference, providing not only academic guidance but also personal and professional support.
Reyes interned with Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA—29) through the University of California, Washington Program (UCDC).
Through opportunities shared in Luskin’s student communications, Reyes secured his first internship in the California State Senate, working in the office of Sen. Caroline Menjivar. He later built that experience with roles in the offices of Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur and Congresswoman Luz Rivas, gaining exposure to policymaking at multiple levels of government. Now graduating in just three years, Reyes has made the most of his time at UCLA. He participated in the UCDC Quarter in Washington program, representing his home community on a national stage, and studied abroad in Paris, where he explored issues of globalization.
Reyes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during his study abroad program.
“A lot of the classes I took here in Public Affairs mirrored what I was learning abroad,” Reyes said. “Many of the concepts I learned in school directly reflected what I saw, experienced, and studied in Paris.”
Reyes encourages other students to step outside their comfort zones and take advantage of opportunities such as study abroad, where classroom concepts come to life in new and meaningful ways.
Far from the uncertain first-year student who arrived on campus three years ago, Reyes has steadily built on each opportunity he encountered at UCLA. His experience reflects the impact of Luskin’s hands-on approach—equipping students not just with knowledge, but with the experience and perspective to pursue careers in public service.
Reyes with members of his League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) fellowship cohort.
Amada Armenta and José Loya Honored by Los Angeles City Council Luskin faculty members were recognized during the “Impactful Chicanos in America” celebration.
On May 8, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council recognized Luskin faculty members Amada Armenta and José Loya during its “Impactful Chicanos in America” celebration, honoring leaders whose work has strengthened and uplifted Latino communities across Los Angeles. The ceremony, hosted by Councilmember Imelda Padilla, brought together honorees spanning artists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and scholars working to shape culture and policy in meaningful ways.
Armenta, director of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) and associate professor of urban planning, was recognized for her research on immigration enforcement and the criminal justice system—scholarship that continues to shape critical conversations on equity, policy, and justice. Loya was honored for his research on inequality in housing and homeownership within Latino communities, and its implications for addressing systemic barriers.
“It was an honor to be recognized at City Hall alongside other Mexican American leaders for the work we do at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, where we use research to elevate Latino voices and perspectives in policy and public discourse,” Armenta said.
The full City Council proceedings, including the ceremony and remarks, can be viewed here.
Centering Community in Urban Planning O’philia Le discusses environmental justice, climate resilience and her path to UCLA Luskin.
What drew you to pursue a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA Luskin, and how did your background in public health and environmental studies shape that decision?
I decided to pursue a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA Luskin to build my professional network in my home state and develop the technical and policy skills to shape more equitable and resilient places.
My background in public health and environmental studies also shaped my decision to come to UCLA Luskin. With an interest in the intersection of climate, the built environment and public health, I was drawn to Luskin’s cutting-edge research, particularly through the Luskin Center for Innovation. As a graduate student researcher on the Heat Equity team under Dr. Kelly V. Turner, my experience has reinforced this interest and deepened my focus on how planning and policy can better support human well-being in the built environment.
O’philia Le
I also appreciate the program’s balance between technical skills, such as GIS and Adobe Creative Suite, and foundational planning theory. Because my academic background was more theory-based, I wanted to gain technical skills that would be practical on the job. As a student who pivoted into urban planning, I think Luskin provides a great introduction to the field.
You’ve described yourself as a community-driven planner — what does that mean to you, and how do you hope to carry that approach into your future career?
To me, a community-driven planner is someone who begins with listening. That means treating residents as experts on their own neighborhoods from the very beginning. It also means planning and designing with communities and making engagement an ongoing effort that shapes every stage of planning, policy and implementation. This includes hosting engagement opportunities at accessible times around work schedules and ensuring community members are compensated for their time and expertise.
I hope to carry this community-focused approach throughout my career in urban planning by centering community priorities in decision-making, especially in marginalized neighborhoods that bear disproportionate environmental and infrastructure burdens. I am committed to advancing solutions that address ecological and social needs while shaping planning outcomes that reflect community priorities within real-world constraints.
My commitment is rooted in environmental justice. Growing up in East Oakland near Interstate 880 and the Port of Oakland, I experienced firsthand how freight traffic and industrial activity shape daily life and health outcomes. In response, I believe inclusive urban planning paves the way for more equitable and climate-resilient cities by integrating community knowledge into decision-making and prioritizing health, safety and ecological balance.
Your Fulbright experience in Taiwan seems to have deeply influenced your perspective on cities and livability. What lessons from that time have stayed with you and show up in your work at Luskin today?
My Fulbright experience in Taiwan shaped how I think about climate resilience, livability and community-centered planning. As a Fulbright Taiwan English Teaching Fellow, I lived in a growing rural town and saw how quickly development can unfold. At the same time, I experienced the potential of revitalized spaces that bring people together, connect everyday life with local history and promote climate resilience.
In particular, I was struck by the revitalization of former Japanese naval airbase buildings that were reused and retrofitted into civic and cultural spaces. This redevelopment created a climate-resilient cultural park that provided third places for residents and expanded business opportunities while also preserving the history of the land. It showed me that development and sustainability can move together, especially when historic buildings are thoughtfully repurposed and integrated into new uses.
That perspective continues to shape my work at UCLA Luskin as a design and development student. Luskin has provided me with the technical tools and platform to translate my ideas into clear, actionable planning deliverables. In my Site Planning course with Dr. Minjee Kim, my team and I are currently developing a proposal to reuse the historic hangars at the Santa Monica Airport urban edge zone as an activated civic landscape — one that supports sustainability, invites public use, strengthens the local economy and preserves the history of the site through civic infrastructure and storytelling.
