The Trump administration is wrecking the economy – and women know it. In fact, during the last nearly 50 years, women have never felt worse about how the government is handling the economy, including fighting inflation or unemployment, than they did in March.
Women’s opinions have plunged during the Trump administration – and they likely have further to fall. These data don’t reflect a chaotic April, when Trump tariffs policies sent stock markets on a rollercoaster ride, and experts are predicting the worst is yet to come. Consumers will start to confront empty shelves within weeks. Even kids’ Christmas presents are in question.
Women’s concerns about the government’s policies are reflected in their broader opinions about the economy. Our analysis finds that women’s confidence in the economy is sinking like a stone, having dropped from 68.3 in January to 50.2 in March – a much steeper decline than men’s – and the fourth-worst month in close to 50 years of data.
And this is more than just a vibecession. New jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics out this morning hardly show the booming economy Trump is raving about – and looking past the headline numbers make it clear that the damaging impacts from the Trump administration’s policies are starting to show.
The data for April show mounting job losses in the federal government since Trump took office. These losses affect the whole country – especially the South – and our research shows they will particularly hurt Native and Black women workers, as well as veterans and disabled workers. The data also show a shocking jump in Black women’s unemployment rate, which now stands at 6.1 percent, the highest rate in more than three years, while their labor force participation rates are lower in the last few months than they have been since late 2021.
Veteran women are also struggling under Trump. Their unemployment rate, which averaged 3.5 percent last year, has spiked in response to DOGE cuts, averaging more than 5 percent so far during the Trump administration. Trump and Musk’s efforts to slash federal jobs and dismantle civil rights protections have especially targeted veteran women.
Today’s data come on the heels of a slew of bad economic headlines about our slowing economy and what lies ahead. As women know, all of this ominous news is a direct result of Trump’s chaotic, harmful policies during the first 100 days of his administration, including volatile, non-strategic tariff policies, damaging cuts to workers’ rights and the dismantling of federal offices dedicated to supporting women in the workforce and protecting them from discrimination. And more pain is looming. The Trump Administration’s “skinny budget” proposal dropped today and doubles down on strategies that are hurting families and the economy, slashing essential programs that support education, housing, the environment and more. As the consequences of President Trump’s comprehensive attack on the country’s economic guardrails continues, women’s economic security and well-being are at serious risk.
The authors are grateful to Sharita Gruberg, Mettabel Law, Jessica Mason and Gail Zuagar for their thoughtful comments and edits.
