BLS: Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity

Once again the BLS has released a fantastic assemblage of facts around minorities in the labor force. The document is called Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity. The full document can be read here and excerpts can be read here.

The document covers how hard the recession has affected Blacks and Hispanics/Latinos in the US. It also discusses the steep rise in Black and Hispanic unemployment. Black unemployment jump by 36% from Nov 2008 to Nov 2009 from 11.5 to 15.6% and the Hispanic rate moved from 8.8 to 12.7% a 44% increase. The two year increases are an astounding 84% for Black unemployment and 119% for Hispanic unemployment.

The report also highlights some of the factors which prevent Minority employment: lower levels of education, work in high unemployment occupations, location in cities with lower job opportunities, and workplace discrimination.