As the Trump administration has made efforts to weaken or eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, Black workers have been watching the labor market weaken, leaving them with fewer options. July’s numbers show many Black households remain economically vulnerable. But Black jobseekers face some specific hindrances in unique ways.
The U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July. Black unemployment stayed at 6.3%, the same as in June, but that percentage is still nearly twice the 3.6% rate of unemployment recorded for white workers. In New York City, state data shows Black unemployment at 8.8%, meaning more than 100,000 Black New Yorkers are today looking for work.
Dr. Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), says policymakers need to look at some of the barriers that keep people out of work. Meade’s essay in the National Urban League’s “2026 State of Black America” report notes that an estimated 20 to 30 million adults are eligible to have their court records against them sealed, yet fewer than 10% actually do.
She noted that nearly half — 46% — of Black adults have an arrest or conviction record and research from CSI estimates that people with records lose a combined $440 billion in income each year.
“These laws are not just for justice-affected people; I think it’s for our community, our economy, our state and our country,” Meade said in an interview. “The problem that you have is that in the U.S., there are 70 to 100 million people who have an arrest or conviction. That’s one in three people who have some type of arrest on the record that prevents them from getting access to housing, jobs, school, and then other opportunities.”
Clean Slate laws automatically seal people’s conviction records after they finish their sentences and stay crime-free. It means individuals won’t have to file paperwork, pay fees, or make court appointments to get their records sealed.
Most Black workers live in the South, where they experience harsh policing and economic exclusion. Meade said nearly 40% of national annual lost earnings are tied to arrest and conviction records — more than $171 billion each year. In nine Southern states, she said, “at least more than three million Black people” could be eligible to have their records fully or partially sealed.
Clean Slate is, in this way, a workforce fix for employers, Meade insists: businesses need workers and workers need a fair chance to pass background screenings and get jobs. “So, we have a big business community like JP Morgan and other folks that are behind this that are supporting this work,” she said. “They’re putting people into jobs and realize that, you know, records should not hold people back, and they’re the most regulated business you could be in: banking.”
New York has already begun fulfilling its Clean Slate Act. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the state’s Clean Slate law on November 16, 2023: it mandates a three-year rollout. The New York state court system will be required to automatically seal all eligible conviction records by November 16, 2027.
Meade said the rollout should be treated as a major public victory because more than 2.5 million New Yorkers could see their records cleared once full implementation begins. “The way we around the country and people in New York celebrated the Knicks is the way people should celebrate Clean Slate: it’s been a long time coming,” she said.
“We should celebrate people having this victory when two and a half million people will be able to be a part of the community in a real way,” Meade continued, “contributing to the tax base, contributing to the economy, getting access to jobs, getting access to housing, getting access to opportunities. That is the win.”
