Black Workers Left Behind With Stagnant 6.7% Unemployment Rate

CBx Vibe:Off The Wall” Michael Jackson

By Jennifer Ford

  • For the month of November, the Black unemployment rate was at 6.7%, higher than any other ethnic demographic
  • The Great Resignation has empowered Black workers to opt out of inequitable labor participation

The U.S. Department of Labor released its unemployment data for the month of November, and it reveals a drop in the Black unemployment rate from 8.8% in August to 6.7%. A decline can seem to indicate progress, but for Black people, the percentage was too high to begin with. The Black unemployment rate has fallen, but the division in economic recovery is glaring.

Why This Matters: The overall U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% last month. However, it increased for women and remained stagnant for Black Americans.

“The pandemic recession disproportionately impacted certain groups,” said Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute. “The recovery has yet to reach some of those groups that were hardest hit.”What Gould failed to say directly is that Black Americans are disproportionately impacted. The details show that the unemployment rate for Black men rose from 8.0% to 8.3% in October. For Black women, the unemployment rate declined from 7.3% to 7%. This data supports results from industries like government, construction, health care, transportation, along with leisure and hospitality.

Situational Awareness: A number of the Black unemployed are those who quit their jobs, an act stemming from a movement called The Great Resignation. After George Floyd was murdered in May 2020, some employees cut the cord on being underpaid, overworked and subject to racist corporate policies, especially in industries like education; food and service; and wholesale trade.

At this time in the job market, some economists believe that Black Americans have the most to gain. If this is true, then more Black participants in The Great Resignation could contribute to a more equitable future.

CBx Vibe:Off The Wall” Michael Jackson

About Jennifer: She is a former HBO Production Risk Executive, now spending her days as a Marketing Consultant for MOWE, nights podding about all the things, and her in-betweens blogging about the seriousness and silliness of life. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @reneseford or Instagram: @oksoblog

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