Black unemployment

EJ Ume, a professor of economics at Miami University, explains the disparate impacts of monetary policy on Black workers.

“The Black unemployment rate has always exceeded other groups,” said CBPP Chief Economist Gbenga Ajilore. “But what's different is that there's a bigger jump, and this is more sustained, and it's more long running.”

Black unemployment is at 7.5%, 1.4% higher than one year ago. For Black women, the jobless rate is 1.9% higher. White unemployment, by contrast, has barely budged, up 0.2% since December 2024.

The number of people who have spent six months or more looking for work has been rising.

Black men made gains in warehousing and transportation, which tend to offer low wages. A recession could hit workers of color hard, economist Michelle Holder says

“The Black workforce is the canary in the coal mine,” said Howard University’s Bill Spriggs. “They’re already suffering.”

Black workers were the only racial or ethnic group for whom unemployment rose in the most recent monthly data — to nearly 9%.

Economists point to structural racism and a lack of access to training and transportation among the factors.

White unemployment applicants were more likely to get relief than Black applicants.

Black and Latino workers made up nearly 40% of the unemployed, but were less than 20% of aid recipients.