7 Shocking Facts About Minority Unemployment

There's been very little good news in unemployment figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the last few months.

But the unemployment crisis has been particularly hard on minority communities. Earlier this year, White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee, called the minority unemployment rate "shockingly and totally unacceptably high."

Whether it be the jobs crisis, the foreclosure epidemic or the our nation's vast prison population, there is a growing sense that minority unemployment has hit crisis levels in some areas of the country. Check out our round-up of some of the most shocking statistics about minority unemployment across America.

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Black Unemployment Is Double The Rate Of White Unemployment

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In the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment survey, as of September, white unemployment was at 8.7 percent, the Hispanic unemployment rate was at 12.4 percent and the black unemployment rate was at 16.1 percent. AP/FILE PHOTO

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In the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment survey, as of September, white unemployment was at 8.7 percent, the Hispanic unemployment rate was at 12.4 percent and the black unemployment rate was at 16.1 percent.

AP/FILE PHOTO

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Nasberry said on 2 Tuesday 2010 am30 8:05 am: These stats frankly make me feel embarrassed as an American. I think that there is no reason why we in the land of the free should have the highest prison population in the world. Alternatives to incarceration shoul be explored. The disruptive effect of incarceration, often for non-violent offense such as marijuana possession, on minority populations has a crippling effect on economic mobility for minorities. We should elect Progressive candidates who are at least cognizant of a problem, rather than electing ConArtists candidates who want to needlessly swell the ranks of the for-profit (Wall Street $$$$) prison system with non-violent offenders.

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Comments

[youpeoplemakemelaugh]

07:40 PM on 11/28/2010

One word for you soapbox riders: Accountability! Dont try and tell me the drugdealers and gangbangers in jail are getting a raw deal from our government. When your child gets killed by a drunk driver or gets hit in the cross fire of a drug deal gone wrong, maybe you"ll wake the hell up!
I agree certain people need help... addicts, that's it! Everyone else breaking the law deserves to get locked up. Please don't try and make me feel bad for the minority youth who can't make it in life because our justice system is flawed...Maybe we should stop having children we can't raise...I am a 34 year old man, born and raised on the south side of Chicago. I come from a single parent home and I've never met my father. I did 2 years in prison from 19 years of age to 21. Since my release Ive graduated from college and obtained a very good job. Dont feed me the "minority sob story". Get off the couch, do something with your life, and please stop having kids you can not afford or teach!

[butterfly218]

09:48 PM on 11/15/2010

If the tea baggers don't bring it up , it will not get noticed .

[Debra Rincon]

06:11 PM on 11/15/2010

You are so right, there is no reason why people with Drunk Driving offenses or Marijuana Possession or Drug CHarges are filling up the jails. Mostly they are Alcoholics and drug addicts that need treatment not JAIL. Jail isn't going to do anything for the Addiction problems in the future. they will continously repeat until they get the Treatment, Counseling,& the Job Training that they need to be sucessful in their lives for them and their families in the future. I agree with the Senators need to make alot more better programs setup for these LOW RISK offenders.

[uptgyrl]

04:09 AM on 11/10/2010

Not surprising, but it helps me to understand that we need to diversify ourselves more and become more marketable. I am currently pursuing my bachelor's, but plan to continue onto my master's. Many graduates are returning to school to become more marketable and a good thing to note is that if you decide to borrow from the government, you are given more funds to do so. Also, the after effect of that can pose some financial hardships, but there is a "forgiveness" option you can read about it at http://www.ibrinfo.org/what.vp.html, basically your loans are forgiven after 10 years of employment with certain branches of govt and for teachers. Strength and Spirituality can help you overcome~ God Bless to All

[ausetkmt]

02:43 PM on 11/07/2010

this is just another reason why voting meant so much on 11/2

[ConservativeWorld]

09:50 PM on 11/06/2010

This is an outrage. The democrat party claims to be the party that helps the "little guy" and minorities. Yet, their policies hurt the "little guy" and minorities many time harder than what any private business could do. This article makes it obvious to many that becoming a Conservative is the answer.

[InformedAmerican]

03:21 PM on 11/09/2010

These stats hold true regardless of who's in the WH or Congress. This is the result of the many inequalities that African Americans have faced in this country since the ships first set sail from Africa to America. It is exactly these "wrongs" that the Democrats fight to try to make right for minorities...the same "wrongs" that you Conservatives fight to continue!!! Save your phony outrage...ok!

[Squeakie]

11:11 PM on 11/12/2010

The same conservatives that like to yank money from the middle class and hand it up to the rich in the form of expensive tax cuts and want to yank away health care and jack up the price on them? Um no, not the answer. Democrats have been championing as the voice and protector of the little guy, but hardly and rarely since they are gut and spin less when it comes to republican party.

[dbeez]

04:05 PM on 11/04/2010

From a study by Princeton -

In contrast to public opinion that assumes little influence of discrimination on labor market inequality, we find that black job applicants are only two- thirds as successful as equally qualified Latinos, and little more than half as successful as equally qualified whites.

Indeed, black job seekers fare no better than white men just released from prison. Discrimination continues to represent a major barrier to economic self-sufficiency for those at the low end of the labor market hierarchy. Blacks, and to a lesser extent Latinos, are routinely passed over in favor of whites for the most basic kinds of low-wage work.

Indeed, discrimination has not been eliminated in the post-civil rights period as some contend, but remains a vital component of a complex pattern of racial inequality.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

04:38 PM on 11/04/2010

"Indeed, black job seekers fare no better than white men just released from prison."

Wow!! That's a kick in the head.

[ausetkmt]

02:45 PM on 11/07/2010

wowwwww..

[Minnehaha]

03:03 PM on 11/04/2010

The old adage the last hired the first fired or laid off still holds true today. No one speaks about minority people forced out of a work place, to make room for a non minority. Or employers interviewing and selecting applicants based on zip codes. Or if a minority person does have a job and a higher paying position is available not being considered for the position, no matter how great their performance may have been. All of this continues to happen in 2010. Republicans battle cry is to cut entitlements another slap at minorities. It is easy to balance the budget on the backs of minorities, the working poor, sick or disabled. Fighting disorder and lawlessness, just imprison the person. I'd like to see a study that shows the difference in sentencing of the poor and the wealthy. Police officers that continue to police cities that have become majority minority without any minority police officers. They do not let those jobs go, they continue to harass and arrest, Prosecute and incarcerate for crimes that would normally be handled in a much less formal way. Judges make their reputations on being tough on crime. That is if the person standing in that court room is a minority or poor, round them up , lock them down.

[ausetkmt]

02:45 PM on 11/07/2010

you got that right

[MrUniteUs]

02:44 PM on 11/04/2010

Black Americans must create more jobs and business for themselves.
See
www.uniteus.com

Also must go after government contracts more.
Last time I checked the percentage was less than 1%

The city of Dallas once bragged about 50 contracts going to women and minorities.
Most went to White women fronting for their husbands 1 went to a Black man.
You guessed it. The janitorial contract.

[ausetkmt]

02:46 PM on 11/07/2010

Have Mercy..

[ValdaDeDieu]

08:26 PM on 11/03/2010

The usual dismal conclusions drawn by people looking only at STATISTICS. I'd like to see an article written about how many of these " unemployed", "unemployable" and "disenfranchised" Black people are using ingenuity and creativity to keep themselves and their families going...

Roy Black, an eminent attorney in Miami, Florida, (Black's Law) states that before the government decided to run an overpass right through the town of Overtown, the Black people there had a thriving economy; most having their own small businesses and concerns.

Black people are some of the most creative people on earth, and despite racism, poverty, slavery, and genocide, have come together for monumental achievements. This too shall pass.

A mere blip on the screen...

[ausetkmt]

02:48 PM on 11/07/2010

they did the same thing to most black cities in the 60's calling it urban renewal.
they put freeways up and tore down thriving black community centers; places
of commerce and even hospitals - all owned by Blacks mostly giving service to Blacks
who were and still remain underserved by the majority business community.

things just never seem to change do they, unfortunantly.
welcome to 1954 again..

[ValdaDeDieu]

12:09 AM on 11/08/2010

We use every disadvantage and turn it to advantage. Only we can stop us. I never feel sorry about obstacles and challenges; just (all the more) empowered...

[G Logan]

01:22 AM on 11/18/2010

This was done in Columbus, Ohio in the 70's. Look at a map. Interstate 71 runs right through town. The Downtown, business, finance, and State Capital was cut off from what was, at the time, a THRIVING African-American community on the Near East side. That area is considered to be the "worst" part of town now. The 80's didn't help with crack. Instead of aggressively STOPPING the drug traffic, "they" simply allowed it to fester like a cavity with an abcess. The school system suffered and crime went through the roof. Politicians LOVE to use Ohio as an example of ALL America, but they only look at the "light" side, in the suburbs and on the farms. The major portion of the population is concentrated in the "urban" (when & why did this become synonomous with "black"?) centers of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Look at the graphs of election results, the cities are BLUE and the rest of the state is RED. The OWNERS (CEO's, etc) live outside the cities and commute but the workers can't even AFFORD cars to GET to work. The public transit SUCKS. and "they" won't build trains, because "they" don't need them. .

[LisaCACO]

03:16 PM on 11/03/2010

if you're black you already know these stats so they're not a surprise. what's hard is that each recession knocks blacks down the hardest and then we start again. they're not the same family wealth and position to fall back on, so when family members are out of work, we can't support each other the way we'd like and it drains the family base. no chance to build that wealth to pass to the next generation. if we could just have one generation of a recession missing us, then we'd be able to retain our houses that we recently bought, which is where white families have their wealth. that wealth, purchased via govt. subsidized loans which were not open to blacks for most of the 20th century, helped many whites enter and maintain their middle class and higher status. that house, that mortgage lets you send your kids to college, help them buy a house, and so on. so next time whites think they didn't have "affirmative action", think again. that what most of the 20th century was, "affirmative action for white people". that's how you got to where you are today.

[james budxinski]

11:10 PM on 11/04/2010

Lets take a walk through my old neighborhood. Many of the black families are still there. I went to public school, worked to get good grades, couldn't afford college and I am white. There were no subsidies that you talk about for white people. I worked hard, studied on my own and was determined to move up. I was turned down for my first mortgage application. By the time I got my first house, I was determined to keep it up and make it better. I was able to move 3 times into nicer houses. I took great care of them and in every case left it in better shape than when I got it. You cannot say the same for all of the neighborhoods. Where is the pride? Where is the work? Where is the family focus on learning and becoming better people. You will say I got out because I was white. It was because I worked hard and continuously picked up a book and studied. Look at your neighborhood and tell me which house has the family focused on education, family values, and morals. And I will show you the family that will make it out on their own without a government handout. For many of my adult life, I have worked 2 jobs. I am pretty sure I can find a second job now. They are out there for people who want to work hard.

[LisaCACO]

03:41 PM on 11/07/2010

I am not saying you "got out" because you were white. what I'm saying is that there were fewer institutional barriers because you were white and some hand outs that were targeted to you specifically because you were white and denied others because they weren't white.

you want to say you got to your position all by yourself-that your hard work, good morals and shiny inherent goodness made you the spiffy person you are today, that you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps. well, I'm here to tell you that the government and this society made sure that you could have that chance by slapping others down along the way and giving you the occasional boost. sorry if it kinda spoils your story but that's the way it was/is.

[ausetkmt]

02:49 PM on 11/07/2010

don't forget that for the majority of Blacks, owning a home is just a dream.
we won't even get into the who financed and built america cost free..

[Returners]

01:44 PM on 11/03/2010

Asian Americans with advanced degrees are more likely to be unemployed (4.8 percent) than Whites with advanced degrees (3.2 percent). Asian Americans with bachelor's degrees are also more likely to be unemployed (7.2 percent) than Whites with bachelor's degrees (4.7 percent).

The unemployment rate for black male college graduates 25 and older in 2009 has been nearly twice that of white male college graduates — 8.4 percent compared with 4.4 percent.

White unemployment rate = 4.4
Asian unemployment rate = 7.2
Black unemployment rate = 8.4

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

[ausetkmt]

02:50 PM on 11/07/2010

Have Mercy - that's really soem tough stuff.

Returners Said "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others "

[Returners]

01:42 PM on 11/03/2010

Asian Americans with advanced degrees are more likely to be unemployed (4.8 percent) than Whites with advanced degrees (3.2 percent). Asian Americans with bachelor's degrees are also more likely to be unemployed (7.2 percent) than Whites with bachelor's degrees (4.7 percent).

The unemployment rate for black male college graduates 25 and older in 2009 has been nearly twice that of white male college graduates — 8.4 percent compared with 4.4 percent.

White unemployment rate = 4.4
Asian unemployment rate = 7.2
Black unemployment rate = 8.4

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

[TybeeBoBo]

01:35 PM on 11/03/2010

An unemployment check is no substitute for a job. I am just another over 50 professional, college educated person that can’t even get a job interview must less a job. Everyone in my extended family is having a hard time making ends meet. They work in the construction industry or the restaurant industry which are suffering and there is no work for anyone. We all have downsized our life and our children’s lives. The only thing keeping us going is my weekly unemployment check. Without this we will truly be homeless. I look at the grandkids and think “this will be the first Christmas that they will be old enough to know what Christmas is really about”, with my unemployment checks ending at the end of November 2010, I fear they will face a very meek unfulfilled Christmas. What a great first impression of Christmas they will get. I am sure there will be food on the table and a few meager presents for the kids and grandkids, but the real gift will be learning that they are now part of a very fast growing sector of our county, the poor people. They will see their friends, whose parents have money and jobs, and know that their Christmas was significantly different. What really hurts the most is that my babies will become second class citizens that Congress and the President do not care about anymore. What an awful reality and a miserable existence to give them for the Holidays.

[ausetkmt]

02:53 PM on 11/07/2010

welcome to the new economic reality of the 50's.
I've been where you have yet to get to since 3 years ago.
now my husband is on sick leave and then he gets his sick
benefits cut, by his city job - WTF ?

yeah, welcome to america the home of the college educated homeless

[emanafunk]

01:32 PM on 11/03/2010

Even when employed blacks are being discarded. Farrakhan now embraces scientology methods to 'enlighten' the downtrodden(WTF). Black folk will never be allowed into the melting pot of the USA, because the majority of white folk will not actively challenge each other. Perhaps black folk should take a closer look at the baggers and the New Black Panther Party....