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1.1 Million Foreign Workers Exit Labor Force, Impacting Black Women

10/16/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In 2025, 1.147 million foreign-born workers left the labor force in three months, including nearly 300,000 Black women.
Black women's labor-force participation fell by 2 percentage points, undoing years of gains.
The report attributes the hollowing to barriers such as credentialing issues and wage theft.
Addressing these barriers could add $132 billion to GDP, with equitable opportunities for these groups generating ripple effects across sectors.

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Story summary

In 2025, 1.147 million foreign-born workers left the labor force in three months, including nearly 300,000 Black women.
Black women's labor-force participation fell by 2 percentage points, undoing years of gains.
The report attributes the hollowing to barriers such as credentialing issues and wage theft.
Addressing these barriers could add $132 billion to GDP, with equitable opportunities for these groups generating ripple effects across sectors.