By: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Due to the rising costs of basic needs and rent increases, the financial security of the Black middle class is being threatened, wrote the Urban Institute. Markers of upward mobility, homeownership, a four-year college degree, and savings for the future are becoming out of reach for millions of Black Americans. Currently, 39 percent of Black middle-class people cannot afford the necessities where they live.

To help alleviate some of the burden, instilling policies that help parents afford the necessities for their children and investing in children can be the key to help achieve financial security and position families to build wealth. Making child-care more affordable through expanding the Child Care and Development Program and expanding the supply of child-care through offsetting costs to start programs and improving worker conditions. These can be a start to help alleviate those costs.

Additionally, the Urban Institute suggests building early college savings and wealth-building accounts for children when they are born and investing in down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers.

The Joint Center released our March Jobs Day analysis, showing how these numbers have impacted Black workers. The analysis, shown below, was covered by the New York Amsterdam News, where reporter Karen Juanita Carrillo interviewed the lead researcher, Cantrell Dumas.

  • From February to March, the unemployment rate for Black workers decreased from 7.7 percent to 7.1 percent.

  • In March 2025, the unemployment rate for Black workers was 0.9 percentage points lower at 6.2 percent.

  • From February to March, the number of Black workers employed increased by 42,000.

  • From February to March, the unemployment rate for Black men increased from 7.6 percent to 7.9 percent.

  • The unemployment rate for Black women decreased from 7.7 percent to 6.3 percent, a 1.4 percent drop.

  • From February to March, the unemployment rate for young Black workers decreased from 14.7 percent to 12.3 percent, the lowest since March 2025 (12.3 percent). The overall unemployment rate for all young workers also decreased from 9.7 percent to 8.2 percent.

  • In March, the overall unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, while the Black unemployment rate was 7.1 percent.

  • At 7.1 percent, the Black unemployment rate is the highest among all racial groups: White 3.6 percent, Hispanic 4.8 percent, and Asian 3.7 percent.

  • The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, a higher-than-expected amount. CNN reports that construction jobs and the healthcare and social assistance sector helped to lift the employment numbers.

Due to the Trump administrations implementation of policies including tariffs, attacks on federal workers, and deportations, the labor market is stalling, reports Center for American Progress. Over the past 12 months, there has been little growth within the job market and younger workers, workers with college degrees, and Black and Asian workers are feeling even greater obstacles. In March, wages have also been stagnant and may have dropped below the inflate rate. Wage growth also slowed in March and may have fallen below the inflation rate.