Black Unemployment More than Twice as High As White Unemployment

While the unemployment rate nationally held steady at 5 percent, the unemployment rate among African Americans increased to 9.4 percent last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

According to the BLS, the African American unemployment rate remained more than twice as high as the unemployment rate among white workers, which declined from 4.4 percent in October to 4.3 percent in November. African American unemployment increased from 9.2 percent to 9.4 percent from October to November.

The labor participation rate among African Americans was 61.6 percent and 62.5 percent among whites.

Asians in the U.S. experienced an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in November and a participation rate of 63.1 percent. Hispanics in the U.S. had a 6.4 percent unemployment rate and a participation rate of 65.6 percent.

Teens (ages 16-19 years old) had an unemployment rate of 15.7 percent, declining 0.2 percent from October. White teens had an unemployment rate of 13.5 percent, African American teen unemployment was 23.7 percent, and Hispanic teen unemployment was 16.7 percent.

Overall the economy added 211,000 and the national unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.0 percent.