According to an article by The Washington Post, a study done by the National Women’s Law Center said that black women have lost more jobs than gain during the recovery period. Almost 260,000 black women lost their jobs, compared to the 233,000 who lost their jobs during the recession. Black women make up 42.2 percent of the women who lost their jobs overall from 2009 to 2011.
So why are the unemployment rates for black women so high?
One major reason listed was the huge cuts in the public sector which women are usually most employed in. According to Joan Entmacher, vice president for family economic security at the National Women’s Law Center in Washington “When it comes to job growth in the private sector, women are also doing less well than men. Whether employers feel it is more important to put men back to work first, we just can’t say at this point.”
This month the national unemployment rate has actually declined from 9.0 back in November, to 8.6. But even with the decline black women’s unemployment rates have increases from 12.6 to 12.9 according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Black women aren’t the only one’s struggling, Latinas are too. A recent study done by Wider Opportunities for Women has pointed out that “66 percent of Hispanic women — do not have enough income to pay for basic household expenses” while 62 of African American don’t make enough to support their households.
Did President Obama’s current push for employment really affect women?
He has proposed a bill that could help many women who are struggling, especially black women. In the bill it includes rehiring of teachers, jobs for recent veterans returning home from war, jobs repairing public roads and bridges, and much more. Yet as we all know only parts of this bill has won the support from Congress, it is very unlikely that it will be passed.
So how are black women coping? Any of you Madame Noire ladies out there have any tips or advice for women who are struggling financially right now?
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