By Blackmansstreet Today

Payroll employment rose a disappointing 73,000 in July, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.2, but the Black jobless rate for both men and women jumped as the Federal government continued to cut jobs, like at the Department of Education.

The U.S. job market slowed sharply in July and was substantially weaker than first estimated for prior months, suggesting President Donald Trump’s trade policy may be stifling hiring.

The U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs last month, and the monthly totals for May and June were revised downward by a combined 258,000 jobs.

The prior two months’ revisions were “stunning,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, in an interview with CNN. May’s estimated 144,000 net gain was revised down by 125,000 to 19,000; and June’s preliminary tally of 147,000 was slashed by 133,000 to 14,000, according to data released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The jobless rate for Black men was 7.0 percent in July 2025 compared with 6.7 percent in July 2024. The employment rate of Black women was 6.3 percent in 2025 compared to 6.2 percent in 2024.

Black workers continued to face a disproportionately high unemployment rate at 7.2 percent—nearly double the rate for White workers, which remained at 3.7 percent. Hispanic workers saw a jobless rate of 5.0 percent, while Asian workers had a jobless rate of 3.9 percent.

Historically, Black women have been overrepresented in the federal workforce, in positions that have offered stability, security, and more pay equity. Black women constitute about 12 percent of federal workers, compared with 7 percent of civilian workers.

They are also more likely to be in the departments that have been most targeted for cuts by DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency), including the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

For example, take a look at the Department of Education, which Trump wants to destroy. U.S. Department of Education has 4,133 employees, according to the administration’s numbers.

Nearly 600 workers have since chosen to leave, by resigning or retiring. And this week, more than 1,300 workers were told they’re losing their jobs in a Tuesday purge.

That leaves 2,183 remaining department staff, according to the administration. Which means the Education Department will soon be roughly half the size it was just a few weeks ago.

Black women made up 28 percent of the education department. They also made up many of the diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, positions that Trump set out to eliminate during his first day in office.