WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The Black unemployment rate hit a six-year low in June, dipping below 11 percent for the first time since August 2008.
Last week, the Labor Department reported that the Black jobless rate was 10.7 percent in June, compared to the White unemployment rate, which was 5.3 percent. The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years-old fell from 11.5 percent in May to 10.9 percent in June, compared to White men who saw their jobless rate decrease from 5 percent to 4.9 percent over the same period.
The jobless rate for Black women over 20 years-old continued to improve, dropping one percentage point, from 10 percent in May to 9 percent in June. The unemployment rate for White women ticked down one-tenth of a percentage point from 4.9 percent in May to 4.8 percent in June.
The fall in the Black unemployment rate was accompanied by an increase in the groups labor force participation rate, which measures the share of Black workers holding jobs or looking for jobs. When the labor force rate rises, researchers have found that workers generally have a more positive outlook on the economy. In June, the Black labor force rate rose to 61 percent from 60.8 percent the previous month.
Read the full story at Black Press USA: http://www.blackpressusa.com/2014/07/black-unemployment-best-in-6-years/#sthash.Bo6GBQqP.dpuf
