Four Black women. Nine degrees. Not one steady paycheck.

An investigation in Little Rock highlights how unemployment among Black Americans, particularly college-educated women, has widened sharply in recent years. Kia Mills, 35, and Aaliyah McShane, 29, described struggling to find full-time work despite advanced credentials, after periods of job loss—Mills left a full-time administrative role about nine months earlier, and McShane has been without work since June 2025. The article cites economists and civil-rights leaders who point to reductions to the federal workforce under the Trump administration and tariffs that slowed hiring, contributing to worsening outcomes. It also notes concerns that employers may be discouraged from hiring amid an environment where the government encourages White men to file complaints alleging workplace discrimination. Marc H. Morial of the National Urban League said the gap has deteriorated faster than any other time outside a significant economic downturn. Data referenced shows the Black-to-White unemployment ratio fell to 1.6 to 1 at the end of the Biden administration, but returned to a 2-to-1 gap within a year, with 7.2% of Black people unemployed by end of 2025 versus 3.6% of White people.