Welcome to the August 2026 edition of the BLK IRL Jobs Report, a monthly look at the U.S. labor market from a distinctly Black perspective, now additionally in audio form! This month: Find out why economists are calling the latest jobs numbers, "surprisingly bad" and "bleak" and what that means for you.

Every edition of the BLK IRLⓇ Jobs Report features three core sections: The Breakdown, where host and BLK IRL Founder, Dr. Anuli Akanegbu, unpacks the latest labor market data and what it means beyond the headlines; Selected Cuts, a curated look at the everyday conditions shaping how we work, learn, create, and live; and On The Board, a roundup of jobs, opportunities, and resources. 

To read the May, June, and July editions of the BLK IRL Jobs Report as a blog post and to subscribe to it as an email newsletter, visit BLK IRL's B-Side Blog at www.blkirl.com/thebside.

Follow BLK IRL on Instagram (@blkirl) here and subscribe to our YouTube channel (@blkirl) here.

Buy BLK! Visit our online shop at www.blkirl.com/shop.

This is the final episode of the limited docuseries, BLK to School. Join our protagonist, Anuli, as she prepares for the big day and start figuring out what life looks like *after* the cap and gown.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@anuliwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for BLK IRL in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@privateastronaut⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blkirl.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

This is episode five of the limited docuseries, BLK to School. In this episode our protagonist, Anuli, races against the clock to graduate before her fellowship funds run out as she turns her attention to writing her dissertation while also navigating everyday life in Atlanta and university bureaucracy.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠⁠⁠⁠@anuliwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for BLK IRL in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠⁠⁠⁠@privateastronaut⁠⁠⁠⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blkirl.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠⁠⁠).

This is episode four of the limited docuseries, BLK to School. In this episode our protagonist, Anuli, shares her reflections on methodology, ethnographic research, and doing this thing that anthropologists call “fieldwork” while living in the American South as a Black woman studying Black life.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠⁠⁠@anuliwashere⁠⁠⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for BLK IRL in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠⁠⁠@privateastronaut⁠⁠⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠⁠⁠www.blkirl.com⁠⁠⁠. Follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠⁠) and Twitter/X (⁠⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠⁠).

This is episode three of the limited docuseries, BLK to School. This episode takes place in Fall 2022 during a month in the life of our protagonist, Anuli. In this episode she receives some major career news while processing everything from social anxiety to voting in Georgia for the first time.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠⁠@anuliwashere⁠⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for Black in Real Life in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠⁠@privateastronaut⁠⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠⁠www.blkirl.com⁠⁠. Follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠) and Twitter/X (⁠⁠@blkirl⁠⁠).

This is episode two of the limited docuseries, BLK to School. Follow our protagonist Anuli as she prepares to move to Atlanta to conduct the formal fieldwork for her PhD in cultural anthropology.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠@anuliwashere⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for Black in Real Life in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠@privateastronaut⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠www.blkirl.com⁠. Follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠@blkirl⁠) and Twitter/X (⁠@blkirl⁠).

Tag along with our protagonist, Anuli, as she leaves Corporate America to go back to school in the season premiere of this limited-run experimental audio docuseries from BLK IRL.

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The BLK IRL Podcast is produced and hosted by Anuli Akanegbu, PhD (⁠@anuliwashere⁠, ⁠www.anuliwashere.com⁠). If you enjoyed this episode then please take a moment to leave a podcast review and share the show with everyone you know. The music for this program was composed by Anuli Akanegbu for Black in Real Life in collaboration with Private Astronaut (⁠@privateastronaut⁠). Visit the BLK IRL website at ⁠www.blkirl.com⁠. Follow BLK IRL on Instagram (⁠@blkirl⁠) and Twitter/X (⁠@blkirl⁠).

For the Season 3 finale, Anuli speaks with award-winning journalist, motivational speaker, and blogger L’Oreal Thompson Payton about what life is like after you get the things you’ve always wanted. Spoiler: It’s still not perfect.

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Enter the world of Season 3 on the BLK IRL website (https://www.blkirl.com/season-3). Stay updated on all things BLK IRL by following the podcast on Instagram (@blkirl) and Twitter (@blkirl). If you like what you hear then please rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, so more people can be introduced to The BLK IRL Podcast!

In this episode, Anuli talks with Los Angeles-based mental health therapist, author, and social media content creator, Oludara Adeeyo, about what it means to embrace being carefree, her pivot from working in the media industry to pursuing a career in social work, and the power in moving away from your home base.

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Enter the world of Season 3 on the BLK IRL website (https://www.blkirl.com/season-3). Stay updated on all things BLK IRL by following the podcast on Instagram (@blkirl) and Twitter (@blkirl). If you like what you hear then please rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, so more people can be introduced to The BLK IRL Podcast!

In this episode, Anuli talks with tech-focused Creative Advisor and Strategist, Sierra Imari, about her current chrysalis era, her love of The Sims, and how it feels to bet on yourself.

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Enter the world of Season 3 on the BLK IRL website (https://www.blkirl.com/season-3). Stay updated on all things BLK IRL by following the podcast on Instagram (@blkirl) and Twitter (@blkirl). If you like what you hear then please rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, so more people can be introduced to The BLK IRL Podcast!