The unemployment rate among Black Americans experienced an increase in March, based on data released by the Department of Labor on Friday.
The unemployment rate for Black Americans rose to 6.4% last month, up from 5.6% in February. This rate is higher than the overall unemployment rate, as well as the 3.4% jobless rate for white Americans.
When reviewing gender-specific data, the unemployment rate for Black women aged 20 or older surged to 5.6%, a significant increase from the 4.4% rate in February. Meanwhile, the jobless rates for Black men rose slightly to 6.2% from 6.1%.
Elise Gould, a senior economist at The Economic Policy Institute, expressed concern over this trend, noting that the unemployment rate for Black Americans has been steadily increasing since December. She emphasized the importance of monitoring this trend closely in the coming months.
In March, the labor force participation rate among Black Americans slightly decreased to 63.6%, down from 63.7% in February. For Black women, the rate declined to 63% from 63.4%, while for Black men, it decreased to 69.6% from 69.8%.
