In November, the overall unemployment rate in the US slightly increased to 4.2%, with Black women being the most affected group as their jobless rate surged to 6%, up from 4.9%. This increase was more pronounced compared to white women, whose jobless rate only slightly ticked up to 3.4%. Black workers as a group also saw a significant rise in unemployment, with a rate of 6.4% compared to 5.7% in the previous month. This reflects a cooling labor market that is still relatively strong but struggling to deliver gains for marginalized workers.
The overall labor force participation rate decreased to 62.5% in November, with Black women’s figure dropping to 62.3%. The rate for Black men also decreased to 68.7%. Hispanic men also experienced a rise in unemployment, with a rate of 4.4% in November compared to 4% in October. This reflects the broader trend of a labor market that is becoming less able to provide opportunities for marginalized groups compared to earlier in the pandemic. Despite the volatility in month-to-month data, the overall picture highlights a need for targeted support to address the disparities in unemployment rates among different demographic groups.
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