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Black women made up 53 percent of the Black labor force in 2018
February 26, 2019
Since the 1970s, women have made up an increasing share of the Black or African American labor force. There were 10.7 million Black women in the labor force in 2018, representing 53 percent of the Black labor force. By contrast, women overall accounted for about 47 percent of the total labor force in 2018.
Total women's share of the total labor force and Black women's share of the Black labor force, 1972–2018
Year
Total women as a share of the total labor force
Black women as a share of the Black labor force
1972
38.5%
44.7%
1973
38.9
45.1
1974
39.4
45.2
1975
40.0
45.8
1976
40.5
46.6
1977
41.0
47.0
1978
41.7
47.9
1979
42.1
47.9
1980
42.5
48.3
1981
43.0
48.7
1982
43.3
48.8
1983
43.5
48.8
1984
43.8
49.1
1985
44.2
49.7
1986
44.5
49.6
1987
44.8
50.1
1988
45.0
50.0
1989
45.2
50.4
1990
45.2
50.5
1991
45.3
50.3
1992
45.4
50.6
1993
45.5
50.7
1994
46.0
51.1
1995
46.1
51.5
1996
46.2
52.0
1997
46.2
52.6
1998
46.3
52.8
1999
46.5
53.2
2000
46.5
53.0
2001
46.5
53.4
2002
46.5
53.0
2003
46.6
53.3
2004
46.4
53.3
2005
46.4
53.0
2006
46.3
53.1
2007
46.4
52.8
2008
46.5
52.9
2009
46.7
53.1
2010
46.7
52.9
2011
46.6
52.7
2012
46.9
53.3
2013
46.8
53.0
2014
46.8
52.8
2015
46.8
52.9
2016
46.8
52.6
2017
46.9
52.7
2018
46.9
52.5
From 1972 to around 2000, the share of Black women in the Black labor force rose from 45 percent to 53 percent. Over that same period, the percentage of women in the total labor force rose from 39 percent to 47 percent. Over the past two decades, however, the shares of Black women in the Black labor force and women in the total labor force have remained relatively steady.
United States Department of Labor
