• Women

by Black Enterprise

July 21, 2026

From Washtubs To Boardrooms: Why Black Women’s Labor Story Still Matters

Black women’s work begins with today’s conversations about equal pay.

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Originally published in Unerased: Black Women Speak, written by Joshua Levi Perrin

There is a temptation to think the story of Black women’s work begins with today’s conversations about equal pay, workplace equity, or career advancement. It doesn’t. It begins in laundry rooms, kitchens, classrooms, hospitals, churches, union halls, and neighborhoods where Black women built lives, communities, and institutions despite an economy that too often depended on their labor without fully rewarding it.

That is the central argument of a new report from economist Dr. Rhonda V. Sharpe and the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER). From Wash Tubs to Boardrooms: The Economic Mobility and Labor Legacy of Black Women in America traces nearly 150 years of Black women’s work, connecting historical labor struggles to the economic realities many still face today. Rather than viewing today’s wage and wealth gaps in isolation, the report asks readers to see them as part of a much longer American story.

One of the report’s most memorable figures is Oseola McCarty. McCarty spent decades washing and ironing clothes in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She never married, never finished elementary school, and lived modestly throughout her life. Yet through disciplined saving, she accumulated more than $250,000. At age 87, she donated $150,000 to create scholarships for Black students at the University of Southern Mississippi, transforming the wages of a washerwoman into educational opportunity for future generations.

Her story captures a paradox that runs throughout the report. Black women have consistently generated economic value, built institutions, strengthened communities, and invested in others. Yet the systems surrounding their labor have rarely returned that investment in equal measure.

The report reaches back even further to the Atlanta washerwomen’s strike of 1881, when thousands of Black women organized to demand higher wages and greater control over their work. Their collective action challenged both employers and local officials, becoming one of the South’s earliest large-scale labor movements led by Black women. Their organizing laid the groundwork that later leaders such as educator and labor activist Nannie Helen Burroughs would transform into lasting institutions focused on training, worker advocacy, and economic opportunity.

These stories are not presented as historical detours. They are evidence that Black women have never been passive participants in the American economy. They have organized it, challenged it, and repeatedly expanded it. The report then follows that legacy into the present, examining occupational segregation, educational attainment, wealth, student debt, entrepreneurship, and labor force participation. One of its most striking conclusions is that education alone has not eliminated economic disparities. Black women have dramatically increased college attainment over the past several decades, yet many continue to face lower earnings, greater student debt burdens, and fewer opportunities to accumulate wealth than similarly educated peers.

The research also argues that these disparities are not simply individual challenges. Occupational segregation continues to concentrate Black women in essential care and service professions that have historically been undervalued, even as those jobs remain fundamental to the nation’s economy. Economic mobility, the report suggests, cannot be understood apart from the structures that shape opportunity in the first place.

Yet, From Wash Tubs to Boardrooms is not a story of inevitable hardship. It is a story of persistence, innovation, and collective action. Across generations, Black women built schools, organized workers, established businesses, supported families, and invested in communities while confronting barriers that stretched far beyond the workplace.

As Unerased | Black Women Speak prepares to mark Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, this research offers more than statistics to absorb. It offers context. It reminds readers that today’s conversations about wages, wealth, and economic justice did not appear overnight. They are the latest chapter in a much longer story of labor, leadership, and resilience.

Understanding that helps illuminate what a more equitable future could look like—and why building it requires valuing Black women’s work not only for what it produces, but for what it has always made possible.
 
RELATED CONTENT: On This Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, Commit to Get Paid What You’re Worth


 

• Politics

by Selena Hill

July 21, 2026

Mayor Mamdani Unveils 23 Proposals To Reshape NYC Rental Market

The sweeping plan aims to strengthen tenant protections, crack down on negligent landlords, and make renting more accessible.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the city’s rental housing system, unveiling a 23-point roadmap that could transform how tenants secure apartments, report unsafe living conditions, and hold landlords accountable.

The recommendations, outlined in the city’s 67-page Rental Ripoff Recap released July 17, stem from five public hearings held across the five boroughs between February and April. According to amNY, the more than 2,400 New Yorkers who participated repeatedly complained about pests, mold, leaks, and inadequate repairs.

Among the report’s most closely watched proposals is a potential overhaul of New York City’s longstanding rental screening process. The administration is considering legislation that would require landlords to choose between running a credit check and requiring applicants to earn at least four times the monthly rent rather than imposing both requirements.

“A credit check can be prohibitive, especially for people who are very low-income New Yorkers,” said Cea Weaver, who serves as the executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, reports amNY. She added that the current system can also disadvantage renters who receive housing assistance or lack an established credit history.

The administration is also exploring requiring landlords or brokers to pay for credit checks rather than applicants. Another proposal would recognize tenant unions in rental buildings, creating a framework for organized tenant groups to negotiate with landlords. While tenants already have the legal right to organize, the city currently has no standardized process defining how tenant organizations are recognized or how property owners should engage with them.

“Just as we know that a union in the workplace can improve people’s working conditions … we think the same thing is true in buildings,” Weaver said.

The report also proposes requiring disclosure labels on apartment listings that use AI-generated or digitally altered images, citing concerns that misleading photos waste renters’ time and money. The city also plans to work with listing platforms such as StreetEasy and Zillow to enforce the rules once finalized.

Additional recommendations include expanding the list of housing violations tenants can cite when withholding rent, increasing penalties for landlords who falsely certify repairs, requiring inspectors to visit every apartment that has reported a heat complaint, and installing compact elevators in older walk-up buildings.

Not all of the proposals will take effect immediately. While some administrative changes could begin later this year, others—including credit screening reforms and expanded enforcement authority—will require City Council approval or additional rulemaking.

Despite criticism from landlord groups, who have argued the process unfairly favors tenants, Weaver defended the proposals.

“I believe it’s good for everybody,” she said, adding that stronger enforcement and faster inspections would ultimately benefit both tenants and responsible property owners.

RELATED CONTENT: Zohran Mandami Taps Ex-Incarcerated Criminal Reform Advocate Stanley Richards To Run NYC Jails 

• Contributor Network

by Black Enterprise

July 21, 2026

From Property To Prosperity: The Unfinished Business Of Black Economic Freedom

America's unfinished promise is economic freedom.

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Written by Sophia Nelson

At our nation’s founding, Black Americans were not merely excluded from America’s wealth. They were, by law, part of the wealth that helped create it.

As America marks its 250th birthday, that truth remains essential to understanding both our history and our future. The story of Black America is not simply one of oppression and perseverance. It is also the story of labor without ownership, contribution without compensation, and the enduring pursuit of economic freedom. I go into depth about these adversities and resilience in my recently published book, Redefining Freedom: Thoughts on Bridging Divides and Renewing America’s Promise at 250.

Enslaved men, women, and children did far more than harvest tobacco and cotton. Their labor helped build many of the physical and economic foundations of the United States, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and portions of the White House and the U.S. Capitol. Yet while they helped create immense prosperity, they were denied every benefit of it. They could not own the land they worked, accumulate wealth, legally protect their families, or pass opportunity to their children. They themselves were treated as property.

Several years ago, while reporting for NBC News at James Madison’s Montpelier, I toured the exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour. What struck me most was not simply its portrayal of slavery’s cruelty, but its examination of slavery as an economic system that transformed human beings into financial assets. That truth is uncomfortable.

It is also history, and it helps explain why, 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, the promise of economic freedom remains unfinished for far too many Black Americans.

The abolition of slavery ended legal bondage, but it did not create economic equality. Reconstruction promised opportunity but ended before its work was complete. The promise of 40 acres and a mule disappeared, Jim Crow followed, and generations of Black Americans were denied equal access to land, housing, education, and credit. The Civil Rights Movement dismantled legalized segregation, but it could not erase centuries of accumulated economic disadvantage. Freedom came. Capital largely did not.

That history is reflected in today’s balance sheets.

The median net worth of a Black household in America is approximately $44,100. For White households, it exceeds $284,000. Put another way, for every dollar of wealth held by the typical White family, the typical Black family possesses only about 15 cents.

Homeownership remains the principal engine of wealth creation for most American families. Yet only about 43% of Black families own their homes, compared with roughly 73% of White families. Even then, Black homeowners too often see their properties undervalued, limiting the equity that fuels generational wealth. White families also hold a much larger share of appreciating financial assets, while many Black families remain disproportionately dependent on home equity alone.

Education has not erased these disparities. The median Black household carries roughly $26,000 in student loan debt despite possessing far fewer accumulated assets than White households.

Fifteen years ago, in Black Woman Redefined, I argued that Black women were doing everything America had asked of them—earning degrees, building careers, and leading across virtually every profession. Preparation was never the problem.

Today, that observation feels painfully current. Recent research found that Black women, particularly college graduates and public-sector professionals, experienced some of the steepest employment losses in a generation. Black unemployment continues to outpace the national average. At a time when Black women have become one of America’s most educated and accomplished workforces, too many have found themselves disproportionately displaced from stable careers. That should concern every American.

Because the issue is no longer whether Black Americans possess talent, the issue is whether America is prepared to invest fully in that talent.

America’s future competitiveness depends on fully utilizing the talents of all its people. Every entrepreneur denied capital, every qualified professional overlooked, and every family unable to build wealth represents not only an individual loss, but a loss to our nation’s economic strength.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we also find ourselves engaged in a renewed struggle over history itself. Recent attacks on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture are about more than one museum. They are about whether America is willing to tell its complete story.

Twenty-five years ago, I argued in the pages of The Washington Post that America needed to put slavery in its proper place in our national consciousness—not to induce guilt, but to tell the truth. I believe that even more strongly today.

We do not strengthen patriotism by editing history. We strengthen patriotism by trusting Americans with the truth.

The history of slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black achievement is not separate from the American story. It is the American story.

Anniversaries are more than celebrations. They are opportunities for honest reflection. America’s 250th birthday is one of those moments.

The unfinished business of freedom is no longer emancipation.

It is economic participation.

It is ownership.

It is wealth creation.

It is ensuring every American has a genuine opportunity to buy a home, build a business, save for retirement, leave an inheritance, and pass forward something greater than what they inherited.

For 250 years, Black Americans have invested their labor, their genius, their patriotism, and too often their lives in the American experiment. Now, as America begins its next 250 years, the question is no longer whether Black Americans belong in the American story.

History has already answered that.

The question is whether America will finally ensure that the prosperity Black Americans helped create is matched by the opportunity to fully own it, build it, and pass it on.

That is not simply the unfinished business of Black America.

It is the unfinished business of America.

RELATED CONTENT: ON THIS DAY: 250 Years Of Black America

• Health and Wellness

by Sidnee Michelle

July 21, 2026

Why More Black Women Are Traveling To South Korea For Preventive Healthcare

Many travelers say South Korea offers streamlined care that allows patients to complete extensive diagnostic testing, imaging, and specialist consultations.

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A growing number of Black American women are traveling to South Korea for preventive medical care, saying faster access to specialists, comprehensive screenings, and more attentive treatment are helping uncover health conditions they believe were missed or delayed in the United States, The Guardian reports.

The trend is helping fuel South Korea’s expanding medical tourism industry, which attracted a record 2.01 million international patients in 2025, according to the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. The figure marks the first time annual foreign patient visits have surpassed 2 million since the government began tracking the data in 2009.

Many travelers say South Korea offers streamlined care that allows patients to complete extensive diagnostic testing, imaging, and specialist consultations in a matter of days rather than weeks or months.

Among them is Adzua Agyapon, a 36-year-old nonprofit professional from Washington, who traveled to Seoul in April 2026 for a preventive health evaluation after hearing about the country’s comprehensive screening programs. During the visit, doctors discovered a 10-centimeter uterine fibroid through an ultrasound before confirming the diagnosis with an MRI.

Agyapon told the outlet she had undergone annual medical exams in the United States, but the growth had never been identified—the evaluation cost just under $600.

“The experience was night and day,” Agyapon said.

Elizabeth Oputa, a 42-year-old brand strategist from Jersey City, New Jersey, has also traveled to South Korea for preventive screenings, alopecia treatment, and dermatological care. Oputa said appointments in the United States often felt rushed, while providers in South Korea spent more time discussing her concerns and explaining treatment options.

Their experiences reflect longstanding racial disparities documented throughout the U.S. healthcare system. Research has found that Black women are more likely to experience delayed diagnoses for conditions including uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and some cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports that Black women are about three times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.

Health experts note that individual experiences vary and that the quality of care differs among hospitals and providers in every country. Medical tourism can also pose challenges for follow-up treatment once patients return home, and it remains financially out of reach for many due to airfare, lodging, and out-of-pocket medical costs.

Still, the women interviewed said the opportunity to receive timely, comprehensive care outweighs the inconvenience of traveling overseas, underscoring growing frustration with disparities they say continue to shape healthcare experiences in the United States.

RELATED CONTENT: Rihanna Expands Fenty Beauty Glam With India Pop-Up

• Uncategorized

by Ida Harris

July 21, 2026

ON THIS DAY: Black Media Was Born

Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez launched the first Black publication.

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July 21, 1864, marks the birth of Black news media. The New Orleans Tribune goes to print and down in history as the first Black newspaper to be published. The city of New Orleans had recently abolished slavery when Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez launched the publication, which was referred to as the “organ of the oppressed,” reporting on the times and newly emancipated African Americans who were fighting for equality.

RELATED CONTENT: Culture Creators Celebrates 10th Annual Innovators & Leaders Awards Brunch

• Women

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 21, 2026

Black Mothers Get Underpaid Twice: Once At Work, Once At Tax Time

Black Women's Equal Pay Day Is July 21

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By Taylor Austin, Campaign Director, Workplace Justice, MomsRising

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is on July 21 this year. It is the day we use to highlight the racist and sexist wage gap faced by Black women. Black women are paid 65 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men working full-time, year-round.

I lead on workplace justice campaigns, so I want to be precise about something. The 65-cent figure everyone will quote next week does not come from nowhere. It gets built, job by job, in American workplaces. Then the federal tax code picks it up and charges Black mothers a second time for it.

Where the number gets made …

Black women working full time, year-round were paid 65 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in 2024, down from 66 cents in 2023 and 69 cents in 2022. The gap widened for a second consecutive year, the first time that has happened since the government began collecting the data in 1960. That gap is built three ways.

It is built by sorting. More than half of Black women work in occupations where they are overrepresented, and those occupations pay lower median wages. Black women are concentrated in childcare, home care, and housekeeping, and largely locked out of higher-paying fields. They are 6.1% of the workforce and 9.2% of the low-paid workforce. It is built inside the same job title. Black women working full time as cashiers and retail salespeople, their second most common occupation, are paid 55 cents for every dollar paid to a white, non-Hispanic man doing that work. In nursing and teaching, the best-paying of their 10 most common jobs, they are still paid about 20% less.
And it is built by silence. Nearly 60% of private-sector workers report that discussing wages is prohibited or discouraged by their employer, even though the National Labor Relations Act makes forbidding those conversations illegal. A gap you are not allowed to discuss is a gap you cannot contest.

For Black mothers, it lands harder: about 52 cents for every dollar paid to a white father.

Then the tax code reads the paycheck…

Here is the part nobody mentions on July 21: The Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,200 per child. Most of that only helps a family that owes enough federal income tax to absorb it. For families who don’t, the refundable portion is capped at $1,700 per child, and you reach that ceiling by climbing a ramp: you must earn at least $2,500 to get anything, and from there the credit grows by fifteen cents for every additional dollar you earn.

Read that again—the credit phases in with your wages. The less you are paid, the less of it you get. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ran the arithmetic. A family with three children earning $30,000 receives $4,125 rather than the $6,600 available to higher-income families.

Last July’s reconciliation law raised the maximum credit to $2,200 per child and made it permanent, which produced a round of press releases about supporting families. The structure underneath went untouched. The earnings floor stayed. The phase-in stayed. The cap stayed. An estimated 19 million children will receive less than the full credit this year, or none at all, because their families earn too little. Half of all Black children are in that group. Not because their parents don’t work. Because their parents’ work is underpaid, and the credit was built to reward the paycheck rather than the child.

So the workplace hands a Black mother a discounted paycheck. The tax code reads that paycheck, decides she must not need much, and discounts her child’s credit to match. An earnings test, applied in a labor market that pays Black women 65 cents on the dollar, is not a neutral measure of effort. It is a discrimination test wearing a better suit.

Fix it at both ends.

This design was a choice, and other lawmakers keep making the opposite one. Eleven of the 15 states with their own child tax credits made theirs fully refundable. The American Family Act would do the same federally, ending the rule that denies a child the full credit because her mother earns too little. But full refundability only stops the compounding. It does not fix the wage that started it. That takes workplace policy, and the list is not mysterious. Pay range transparency, so a Black woman can see what a job pays before she is lowballed into it. Salary history bans, so one employer’s discrimination stops following her to the next job. Real enforcement of the right to discuss wages, which workers already have on paper and are told to forget in practice. Paid family and medical leave, so becoming a mother stops functioning as a permanent pay cut. Childcare funding, so a low-wage job does not cost more than it returns.

MomsRising brought mothers to Capitol Hill this spring for the first mom-centered congressional hearing on affordability. They testified about groceries, rent, and childcare. A typical family now needs roughly $145,000 a year to get by. Set that against a mother earning half of a white father’s dollar and then losing part of her child’s credit because of it, and the arithmetic stops being abstract. It becomes a decision about which bill goes unpaid this month.

Black women have never needed this country’s awareness. We get it every July, on a date that drifts a little each year and gets covered like weather.

What we need is a workplace that pays a Black mother what her work is worth, and a tax code that stops treating her underpayment as her own verdict on herself. She earned the full credit. Her child certainly did.

About the author

Taylor is the campaign director for MomsRising’s Workplace Justice Campaigns. Her professional background is rooted in reproductive healthcare and advocacy, protecting reproductive rights through grassroots organizing, public education, and legislative change within Pennsylvania.

With a deep commitment to the belief that social health directly impacts physical wellbeing, Taylor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health (with a Biology minor) from Temple University, as well as a Master of Science in Health Administration (MHA) from Saint Joseph’s University. As a Black woman living in the United States, she is grateful to be able to leverage both her lived and professional experiences to advocate for and positively impact women and families.

A proud Philadelphia transplant, Taylor now resides in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, their two children, and an ever-growing collection of plant babies.

• Men

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 21, 2026

VIDEO: The Lasting Legacy Of George E. Johnson Sr. Will Not Be Forgotten

George E. Johnson was laid to rest, his contribution lives on.

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On July 6, 2026, the business world lost a true pioneer with the passing of George E. Johnson Sr. at 99. As the co-founder of Johnson Products Company, he was not just a successful entrepreneur but a transformative figure who used economic power to uplift the African American community.

In the following video, Alfred A. Edmond, Jr., BLACK ENTERPRISE’s executive vice president and chief content officer, takes a moment to lay bare Johnson’s character and the direct impact and influence Johnson has had during his professional career:

Community Impact and Integrity

Beyond commercial success, Johnson’s factories and offices served as vital economic engines, helping to build the foundation of Chicago’s Black middle class.

His journey also navigated the complex evolution of corporate growth. When the company was sold to a white-owned conglomerate in 1993 amid a divorce, it sparked a national debate over the future of minority wealth-building. Throughout this public scrutiny, Johnson maintained absolute grace and transparency—a commitment to fair dealing detailed in his memoir, Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized the Industry with the Golden Rule. He and his wife, Joan, eventually reunited and reacquired the company.

The Takeaway

George E. Johnson Sr. redefined corporate leadership by proving that true business success is measured by generational community impact rather than just profit margins. Today’s entrepreneurs stand firmly on the shoulders of his historic achievements.

RELATED CONTENT: George E. Johnson, Afro Sheen Founder And Black Business Pioneer, Dies At 99

• Career

by Sidnee Michelle

July 20, 2026

Nearly 2 Million Americans Face Long-Term Unemployment Despite Lower Jobless Rate

Adults aged between 25 and 54 represented the largest share of long-term unemployed workers.

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Nearly 2 million Americans remained unemployed for at least six months in June, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released July 3, underscoring persistent challenges in the labor market despite a slight decline in the nation’s overall unemployment rate, Fast Company reports.

The BLS reported employers added 57,000 jobs in June while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.2% from 4.3% in May. However, the improvement largely reflected fewer Americans participating in the labor force rather than a significant increase in hiring. The labor force participation rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 61.5%, its lowest level since March 2021.

Approximately 1.9 million Americans had been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer in June, accounting for 27.3% of the nation’s unemployed workers. That share increased by about four percentage points compared with June 2025, signaling that many job seekers continue to face lengthy searches for new employment. The average duration of unemployment reached 25.5 weeks.

Adults aged between 25 and 54 represented the largest share of long-term unemployed workers, with people in their late 20s and 30s among the most affected groups.

The increase comes as several major employers, including Meta, Microsoft, Atlassian, Lucid, and Block, have announced workforce reductions in recent months, adding experienced candidates to an already competitive job market. While severance packages often include several months of pay and temporary healthcare benefits, many expire before workers are able to secure new positions.

Extended unemployment is also affecting workers’ mental health. An April 2026 survey of 5,000 unemployed adults conducted by Talker Research found that only 23% of respondents said they consistently felt motivated during their job search, while 31% reported they had stopped actively searching for work. The survey also found the average respondent had been unemployed for six months, with nearly one-third searching for even longer.

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell described the labor market in 2025 as a “low-firing, low-hiring environment,” where employers have slowed both hiring and layoffs, making it more difficult for unemployed workers to reenter the workforce quickly.

RELATED CONTENT: How Lengthy Unemployment Stints Can Eat Away At Life Savings 

• Career

by Sidnee Michelle

July 20, 2026

Mid-Career Workers Are Taking On More Work Without Bigger Paychecks

The trend comes as businesses continue restructuring their workforces.

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The traditional mid-career path is shifting as companies streamline operations, eliminate management layers, and expect experienced employees to absorb additional responsibilities without corresponding promotions or pay increases, prompting career experts to urge workers to reassess and communicate the value they bring to their organizations, Fast Company reports.

The trend comes as businesses continue restructuring their workforces. U.S. entry-level job postings have dropped about 35% since early 2023, according to labor market analytics firm Revelio Labs⁠. At the same time, a 2025 survey of 15,000 professionals by the executive search and consulting firm Korn Ferry found that 41% of respondents reported that their employers reduced management layers in the previous year.

While layoffs and hiring slowdowns often dominate headlines, career experts say the greatest burden is increasingly falling on experienced professionals who occupy the middle of an organization. As companies flatten their hierarchies, work once handled by junior employees, managers, or cross-functional teams is frequently reassigned to mid-career staff, expanding their responsibilities without changing their titles or compensation.

Experts recommend that employees begin by evaluating how their roles have changed over time. That includes identifying tasks inherited from entry-level positions, from former supervisors, other departments, or newly implemented artificial intelligence systems. From there, workers should distinguish between responsibilities that rely on their expertise and judgment and routine tasks that could be delegated, automated, or eliminated.

Career advisors recommend discussing how responsibilities have evolved, outlining the value those changes have created, and seeking adjustments to workload, authority, or recognition. That could include requests for greater decision-making responsibilities, updated job titles, compensation increases, or increased visibility with senior leadership.

As organizations continue operating with leaner teams, career experts say clearly defining and communicating one’s evolving contributions can help ensure that expanded responsibilities translate into long-term career growth instead of becoming an overlooked expectation.

RELATED CONTENT: Are You Among The 1-in-4 White-Collar Workers Stuck in Your Career?

• Lifestyle

by Sidnee Michelle

July 20, 2026

More Workers Test Positive For Marijuana As Employers Ease Hiring Rules

The findings reflect a shifting workplace landscape as employers balance hiring needs with evolving attitudes toward marijuana use.

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Marijuana continues to appear more frequently in workplace drug tests across the United States, so many employers are easing hiring policies as they compete for workers and adapt to changing state cannabis laws, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Quest Diagnostics reported that 4.4% of nearly eight million workforce urine drug tests conducted in 2025 were positive for marijuana, up from 3.9% in 2021. Hair testing, which detects drug use over a longer period, showed an even sharper increase, with 15% of tests returning positive results. Among employees subject to random hair testing, the positivity rate climbed to 21%, according to the company’s annual Drug Testing Index.

The findings reflect a shifting workplace landscape as employers balance hiring needs with evolving attitudes toward marijuana use. While cannabis remains illegal under federal law, many states have legalized its medical or recreational use, prompting some businesses to reconsider blanket testing policies for applicants.

Employment attorney Todd Logsdon, a partner at Fisher Phillips, told the outlet that labor shortages have influenced those decisions.

“I’ve had other employers tell me, ‘If I test for that, I’m not gonna have any applicants,'” Logsdon said. “They’re being very choosy about which role they test for.”

A 2024 Fisher Phillips survey of nearly 1,000 employers found that about half no longer require pre-employment marijuana testing for at least some positions. Among companies that continue screening applicants for cannabis, 44% said the practice has made recruiting more difficult, while nearly one-quarter said they were considering changing their policies.

Several major employers, including Amazon, Citigroup, Home Depot, and AutoNation, have eliminated marijuana screening for many non-safety-sensitive positions. However, industries such as transportation, aviation, construction, and other safety-sensitive sectors continue to require drug testing because of federal regulations and workplace safety standards.

Quest Diagnostics also reported increases in positive workforce tests for cocaine, amphetamines, and methamphetamine in 2025. At the same time, the positivity rate for fentanyl in urine drug tests declined by about half from 2024 levels, according to the company’s findings.

RELATED CONTENT: 6 Black-Owned Dispensaries Leading Social Equity In Cannabis