African Americans in College Who Are Looking for Work Are Twice as Likely as Their White Peers to Be Unemployed

In October 2005 there were 8.6 million whites under the age of 25 who were enrolled in college. About 54 percent of these white college students held paying jobs while enrolled in school. Some 5.7 percent of white students in college were actively seeking work though unemployed.

For blacks, there were 1,328,000 students under the age of 25 enrolled in college in October 2005. Of these, 44 percent actually held jobs while they were enrolled in college. But slightly more than 10.5 percent of African-American college students who were actively seeking employment were unable to find work.

Therefore, for students currently enrolled in college, the traditional 2-to-1 black-white unemployment ratio holds firm.