Unemployment Rate Drops, But the Racial Gap Persists

us-bureau-of-labor-statistics logoThe nationwide unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent in December, the lowest level in many years. In December 2012, the nation’s unemployment rate stood at 7.9 percent.

The value of higher education to a person’s employment prospects cannot be overemphasized. In December, only 3.3 percent of college graduates were unemployed, compared to 7.1 percent of those who graduated from high school but had no college experience.

Yet despite the good news on the drop in unemployment, the stubborn racial gap in unemployment rates persists. In December, 11.9 percent of African Americans were unemployed. This is slightly more than double the White rate of 5.9 percent. This 2-to-1 Black unemployment rate compared to the rate for Whites has been constant for many decades, throughout good economic times and bad.

The December employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be accessed here.

Related Articles

2 COMMENTS

  1. Unemployment rates dropped because the government terminated extended unemployment benefits. To close the employment gap, African Americans should seriously consider reestablishing black communities and starting and supporting our ethnic businesses. It is one of the things that remain unique to immigrant populations who go on to thrive in the United States.

  2. Significant Numbers of Black People Are Unemployed Because Black Businesses Cannot or Do Not Hire Significant Numbers of Black People.

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs