Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released vital economic data for the month of November. The numbers show a continuation of the trend we’ve seen throughout the year – dramatically slow job growth beginning to turn into losses, particularly in industries impacted by firings of federal employees and President Trump’s tariff policies, and elevated rates of unemployment for Black women.
While overall employment ticked up slightly from October to November, it declined 41,000 between September and November, with women losing 35,000 jobs. Employment in the federal government dropped by 168,000 in October and November, as Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-inflicted layoffs and resignations became official. Attacks on public servants in the federal government have been disastrous not only for those workers – disproportionately people of color – but also for all of us who depend on these dedicated employees to keep our workplaces, water, and air safe, protect our civil rights in schools and on the job, and for so much more.
Further signaling a grim economy, today’s data also suggest that employers are trimming back hiring and hours. The number of people working part-time involuntarily – because they couldn’t find full-time work or their hours were reduced – increased by almost one million between September and November. Employment in temporary services was down 17,000 between September and November. That makes for an especially difficult environment for newly entering workers, including youth. The overall unemployment rate for 16-19-year-olds hit 16.3 percent in November, up from 13.1 percent a year ago, and a whopping 30.7 percent for Black teens, almost doubling the November 2024 rate of 18.1 percent.
Overall, women appeared to be treading water with an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent, essentially unchanged from September, but up from a year ago. Black women’s unemployment remained elevated at 7.1 percent in November, compared to 5.9 percent a year ago. More Black women entered the labor force this fall, with their labor force participation rate ticking up from 61.9 percent in September to 62.5 percent in November, suggesting that while more Black women are seeking work, the tough economy is making it difficult to find a job.
Even with today’s release, businesses, consumers and policymakers are still operating without vital information as BLS contends with delays caused by this fall’s government shutdown. For the first time in its history, the BLS did not collect certain crucial data for the month of October, including data on labor force participation and unemployment rates by demographic, and other key indicators in the Current Population Survey. These permanent gaps in the data will remain.
We’ve also continued tracking how men and women feel about the government’s economic policies through the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. Ratings for both groups have declined throughout the year. Women’s sentiment towards the economy continues to be consistently lower than men’s, hitting a new low in October. It all adds up to a clear truth: Americans know that President Trump’s policies are undercutting economic stability, raising prices and threatening women’s equal access to the labor market, especially for Black women. And as many continue to struggle with the increasing cost of living and lack of necessary policies to balance families, caregiving and work, women’s confidence in the economy is unlikely to dramatically improve.
