January jobs report shows disproportionate rate of Black unemployment

The January jobs report showed a surprising increase in employment, and that unemployment had decreased to 4.3%.

- By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The government shutdown created an especially painful toll for African-Americans who make up nearly 20% of the federal workforce and historically have been on the low end of the government pay scale.

(Paul Sancya photo/AP File)

Employment increased by 130,000, with most of the job gains coming in health care (82,000), social assistance (42,000), and construction (33,000).Outside these national gains, however, workers in the Black community continue to face higher unemployment. Recent data and expert interviews indicate that Black unemployment remains above the national average.

Black unemployment dropped from 7.5% in December to 7.2% in January. "Good is a word. I think it is definitely a progression, I would say," said Dr. Gabrielle Smith Finnie, senior research analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "We still have elevated unemployment numbers for Black workers, even with the decrease from 7.5% in December to 7.2 in January. It's still elevated, but it definitely is better than reports that we had in December."

However, the unemployment numbers for both Black men and women are still above the national rate. Sector-specific gains show a mixed picture for Black workers.