After Record Layoffs, Black Women Are Helping Each Other Rebuild

Months ago, an alarming statistic made headlines: More than 300,000 Black women had exited the U.S. workforce in just three months, between February 2025 and April of 2025. While many Black women who left the workforce were pushed out, many others have been laid off. U.S. employers cut more than 150,000 jobs in October 2025, with the total number of job cuts as of the end of October being more than 1 million, according to Reuters. Amid great turmoil and job loss, Black women, who have been some of the hardest hit by the federal job cuts, are focused on helping one another rebuild.

“When I realized 300,000 Black women lost their jobs, I knew I had to do something,” shared Sheletta Brundidge in an email. Brundidge is a Minnesota-based broadcaster and the CEO of a podcast network and promotions company, ShelettaMakesMeLaugh, that celebrates Black culture. “How could I, a broadcaster and divorced mother of four, help Black women find jobs? I prayed and the Lord gave me the idea to have a job fair, but not just any job fair: a job fair and brunch for Black women. I held it at the Coliseum, a building co-owned by two Black women in Minneapolis and partnered with a staffing agency, Spotlight Staffing, owned by Terace Johnson, a Black woman. 15 employers including three of the city’s largest hospital systems, the Minneapolis Police Department, the school district, a trucking corporation, the transit company, our city’s largest grocery store and others partnered with me to table and talk to jobseekers.” Brundidge is hosting another free event for small business owners on November 29^th in Minneapolis.

Mercedes Swan, a career coach, reflected on what a difficult time this has been for Black women jobseekers. “I’ve been a career coach supporting hundreds of Black women as they’ve navigated career pivots, job searches, and workplace discrimination since 2018, and since then I haven’t seen a job market as challenging as the one Black women are facing right now,” Swan shared in an email. “In May, I reached out to the Black women in my network to learn more about their goals and challenges. I heard that Black women were tired, experiencing extensive layoffs, and losing hope. From that outreach came a three-part webinar series, “Black Women are Resilient,” “Black Women are Strategic,” and “Black Women are Brilliant,” where I really heard how much Black women were struggling to stay encouraged and find safety in community. I left that series feeling accomplished to have provided a warm and inspirational space, but I also left heartbroken knowing it wasn’t enough.”

Swan knew that she had to do something to provide support for a community of jobseekers that were in dire need. “That experience inspired me to launch a new, free version of the Career Love Community for Black women who need a safe space to grieve job loss, connect with other Black women, and work on their career or business. The Career Love Community is a digital space that features live events, training, and community circles designed to help Black women achieve their own version of bliss in sisterhood. With all the challenges we’re facing, I think this type of space is exactly what Black women need right now,” Swan explained.

According to LinkedIn data scientist Danielle Kavanagh Smith, a 2023 analysis of networks revealed disparities in network size and growth based on factors like gender, race, and income for LinkedIn users. Based on the analysis, Smith explained, “Black women’s average networks are 28.6% smaller than the national average and 38.4% smaller than White men’s average networks.” These disparities in network size and growth may make the job search process more challenging for Black women. Robust support systems that provide Black women with opportunities to build and grow their professional networks are desperately needed.

“Ain’t nobody coming to help Black women,” Brundidge shared. “We’ve got to help each other. I wanted to show the rest of our city, our state and our country, what showing up for Black women looks like. This wasn’t just a job fair—it was a celebration of us, our hair, skin, clothing, shoes, style, swag. And it lets Black women know, you’re not alone.” Swan shared some advice for Black women jobseekers navigating this difficult time. “I want every Black woman jobseeker to know that the market is not a reflection of her skills and that she is talented,” she shared. “My advice is to keep going and improve your job search strategy in one small way each week. That could be retargeting your resume, sending one more outreach message, or attending one more networking event. Anything you’re doing to stay balanced, motivated, and moving forward is the best thing you can do.” During this time, Black women should lean on the free resources that are available including HIREBLACK, Black Remote She, and job boards that are frequently updated.