National rate drops to 8.8%; Black Unemployment Rate rises in March

The national rate dropped 0.1% to 8.8% of the counted workforce. There was a 216,000 increase in private sector jobs. Jobs increased in the following sectors: professional and business services, healthcare and leisure.

The Black Unemployment rate rose to 15.5% from 15.3%. The increase was small but the direction was worrisome. We also have concerns over the source of the increase: Black Male and Teen unemployment increases. The white unemployment rate is 8.0%.

The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years old stood at 16.8% and the rate for women, 20-years and old was 12.5%. The Black teenage unemployment figure was 42% nearly double the white teenage rate of 22%.

The long term unemployed, 27-weeks or longer, increased from 43.9 to 45.5. The labor force participation rate stayed at 64.2. Part-time workers who want full-time work was fixed at 8.4 million.