It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. The U.S. labor report drops the first Friday of every month. July’s jobs report showed that unemployment is at its lowest level in decades.
And yet, Black folks are still underemployed.
Our position in the labor force HAS grown over the last two months. Over 63% of Black workers are employed or actively seeking employment. This is the highest number on record in over 50 years!
But there is some bad news about this “good” news.
Black Americans still have an unemployment rate of 6.2%. That’s nearly double that of white America and above the national unemployment rate of 3.6%. Why is this the case?
Systemic conditions like Jim Crow and legalized slavery in the penal system segregated Black people into low-paying, undervalued occupations - a gap that has persisted for over 50 years. Civil rights policies meant to help correct the issue have long been underfunded.
The labor market may be improving, but it’s not where it needs to be. Until policymakers find ways to tackle the racism that permeates the economy and drives racial inequities, many in our community will remain locked out of OPEN job positions.