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Official Website administered by the State Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts

Deborah B. Goldberg

Program under Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

Black Women in the United States: Very Educated and Very Likely to Be Impoverished

June 9, 2017

Essence // Lihle Z. Mtshali

The Status of Black Women in America—a new report authored by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and funded by the National Domestic Workers Alliance—determined that Black women in the U.S. are severely disadvantaged across several significant measures. Despite their increasing levels of educational attainment, strong labor force participation rates, and high voter turnout, Black women consistently occupy the lowest-paying sectors of the job market, are most likely to live in poverty, and lack access to healthcare and other social support. The report also makes several policy recommendations to improve the lives of Black women, one of which is raising the minimum wage.