The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies recently released a new report, “The Economic State of Black Women in the United States,” which explores the continuing influence of structural and historical factors in shaping economic security for Black women.
Currently, there are 21 million Black women and girls living in the United States, representing 51 percent of the total Black American population. The population of Black women is also relatively young, with a median age of 37.8 years. This is younger than the median age for Asian (40.2 years) and White (44.3 years) women, but older than that of Hispanic women (31.6 years). Notably, over one-fifth of Black women in the United States are under the age of 18, reflecting a youthful population that will shape future workforce and economic outcomes.
Among Black American women over the age of 25, about two-thirds have attended college at some point in their lives. Some 38 percent of Black women hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to just 26 percent of Black men. However, Black women are significantly less likely than Asian (77 percent) and White women (52 percent) to hold a bachelor’s degree. A similar pattern exists at the graduate level, with 15.7 percent of Black women holding at least a master’s degree, compared to 10.8 percent of Black men, 19.3 percent of White women, and 31.6 percent of Asian women.
Notably, Black women are among the most active participants in the U.S. labor force. Some 63 percent of Black women are either working or actively looking for work, compared to 61 percent of Hispanic women, 60 percent of Asian women, and 58 percent of White women. Furthermore, the gender gap in active labor force participation is significantly smaller among the Black American population compared to other racial groups. Black men’s labor force participation is just 6 percentage points higher than Black women’s. For other groups, the gender gaps are 18 percentage points for Hispanic Americans, 16 percentage points for Asian Americans, and 12 percentage points for White Americans.
Despite their increased labor force participation, Black women continue to face persistent barriers to income and wealth relative to White and Asian women. In 2025, the median weekly earnings for Black women working full-time were $942, compared to $1,108 for White women and $1,395 for Asian women. Income gaps are even larger when compared to White and Asian men, who earn $1,231 and $1,780 per week, respectively. Between Black men and Black women, median weekly earnings are roughly on par, with Black men earning just $44 more per week.
For Black mothers, income disparities are significant. Among households headed by a woman with children under 18, Black women have the lowest median income across major racial and ethnic groups at $41,890, compared to $57,160 for households headed by White women, $80,300 for households headed by Asian women, and $46,430 for households headed by Hispanic women.
Black women also face major disparities in retirement savings. Less than half of Black women report having retirement savings, compared to 61 percent of U.S. adults overall. Among women ages 55 to 59, Black women hold an average retirement balance of $129,933, compared to $328,217 for White women. Furthermore, Black women ages 65 or older are twice as likely as similarly aged White women to live in poverty (17 percent versus 8 percent).
“These findings show that educational attainment and labor force participation, while important, have not been sufficient to close longstanding gaps in economic security,” the authors write. “Persistent disparities in income, wealth, and retirement security remain central to understanding the economic position of Black women and, more broadly, the uneven distribution of opportunity and financial stability in the United States.”
