Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - White (LNS14000003) from Jan 1954 to Jun 2025 about white, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

In 2024, six percent of the Black or African-American population in the United States were unemployed, the highest unemployment rate of any ethnicity. In 2024, the national unemployment rate stood at four percent.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Black or African American (LNS14000006) from Jan 1972 to Jun 2025 about African-American, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 20 Yrs. & over, White Men (LNS14000028) from Jan 1954 to Jul 2025 about 20 years +, males, white, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

2020 data excluded because the U.S. Census Bureau did not release 2020 ACS 1-year estimates due to COVID-19. Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates

Why This Matters

Employment is the main source of income for most people. For many families and individuals, unemployment threatens access to basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, health care, and education, among others.

Nationally, Black workers and workers of color, on average, experience persistently higher unemployment rates than white workers. Racist policies and practices, including segregation, employment discrimination, and inequities in the criminal justice system have undermined job security for workers of color.

The District's Response

Initiatives that support residents in career advancement and their efforts to secure sustainable employment through education and training support, such as Career MAP, Advanced Technical Centers (ATC), and the DC Infrastructure Academy, among other programs and services.

Administering federal and local safety net programs that provide temporary cash and health benefits to help residents experiencing unemployment and related economic hardship meet their basic needs, including unemployment insurance, Medicaid, TANF For District Families, SNAP, etc.

Programs to remove barriers employment for returning citizens, such as Pathways to Work and the Returning Citizens Access to Jobs Grant.

In 2023, the unemployment rate of African Americans in the United States stood at 5.5 percent. This was over the national average of 3.6 percent.

The high rate of unemployment

There are many reasons why the unemployment rate among minorities is different than the national average. When it comes to African Americans, a large part of this is due to historical events, such as slavery and the struggle for civil rights, as well as the number of Black families living below the poverty level. Additionally, in 2019, for every 100,000 of the population, there were 2,203 Black men in prison. This high rate of imprisonment can contribute to the unemployment rate for African Americans, since having been in prison can reduce one’s chances of finding a job once released.

Earning differences

African Americans also make less money than other ethnicities in the United States. In 2020, the median weekly earnings of African Americans were 794 U.S. dollars, compared to Asians, who made 1,310 U.S. dollars per week, and whites, who made 1,003 U.S. dollars per week. While the African American unemployment rate may be low, it is clear that much has to change in order to achieve full equality.

ACS 1-year estimates are based on data collected over one calendar year, offering more current information but with a higher margin of error. ACS 5-year estimates combine five years of data, providing more reliable information but less current. Both are based on probability samples. Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 1- & 5-Year Estimates

Why This Matters

Employment is the main source of income for most people. For many families and individuals, unemployment threatens access to basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, health care, and education, among others.

Nationally, Black workers and workers of color, on average, experience persistently higher unemployment rates than white workers. Racist policies and practices, including segregation, employment discrimination, and inequities in the criminal justice system have undermined job security for workers of color.

The District's Response

Initiatives that support residents in career advancement and their efforts to secure sustainable employment through education and training support, such as Career MAP, Advanced Technical Centers (ATC), and the DC Infrastructure Academy, among other programs and services.

Administering federal and local safety net programs that provide temporary cash and health benefits to help residents experiencing unemployment and related economic hardship meet their basic needs, including unemployment insurance, Medicaid, TANF For District Families, SNAP, etc.

Programs to remove barriers employment for returning citizens, such as Pathways to Work and the Returning Citizens Access to Jobs Grant.

This interactive chart compares the historical black unemployment rate to those of whites and the hispanic/latino population. Note: Statistics for Asian unemployment are not included here as the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not start including this measure until 2000 and does not provide a seasonally adjusted series as yet.

In 2023, about 23.51 percent of unemployed Black or African American individuals had been jobless for at least 27 weeks. This was slightly higher amongst Asian individuals, at 23.55 percent. See the monthly unemployment rate in the U.S. here.

In the second quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate among Black South Africans was 36.9 percent, marking a year-on-year change of 0.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the unemployment rate among white South Africans was 7.9 percent in the second quarter of 2024, with a 0.5 percent year-on-year change. Unemployment prevalent among youth and women The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force population that is unemployed, while the labor force includes individuals who are employed as well as those who are unemployed but looking for work. South Africa is struggling to absorb its youth into the job market. For instance, the unemployment rate among young South Africans aged 15-24 years reached a staggering 60.7 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Furthermore, women had higher unemployment rates than men. Since the start of 2016, the unemployment rate of women has been consistently more than that of men, reaching close to 36 percent compared to 30 percent, respectively. A new minimum wage and most paying jobs      In South Africa, a new minimum hourly wage went into effect on March 1, 2022. The minimum salary reached 23.19 South African rand per hour (1.44 U.S. dollars per hour), up from 21.69 South African rand per hour (1.35 U.S. dollars per hour) in 2021. In addition, the preponderance of employed South Africans worked between 40 and 45 hours weekly in 2021. Individuals holding Executive Management and Change Management jobs were the highest paid in the country, with salaries averaging 74,000 U.S. dollars per year.

In 2024, about 62.7 percent of the Asian community was employed. The highest employment rate was found among Mexican-Americans, at 64.1 percent, and the lowest employment rate was found among Puerto Ricans, at 55.2 percent. In total, around 60 percent of all working-age Americans were employed at this time.

In 2022, the highest and lowest rates of economic inactivity were in the combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi (33%) and white 'other’ (15%) ethnic groups.

As of the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate for people of white ethnicity in the United Kingdom was 3.7 percent, the lowest of the provided ethnic groups in this quarter. By contrast, the unemployment rate for people in the Pakistani ethnic group was 13.1 percent.

In 1990, the unemployment rate of the United States stood at 5.6 percent. Since then there have been many significant fluctuations to this number - the 2008 financial crisis left millions of people without work, as did the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2022 and throughout 2023, the unemployment rate came to 3.6 percent, the lowest rate seen for decades. However, 2024 saw an increase up to four percent. For monthly updates on unemployment in the United States visit either the monthly national unemployment rate here, or the monthly state unemployment rate here. Both are seasonally adjusted. UnemploymentUnemployment is defined as a situation when an employed person is laid off, fired or quits his work and is still actively looking for a job. Unemployment can be found even in the healthiest economies, and many economists consider an unemployment rate at or below five percent to mean there is 'full employment' within an economy. If former employed persons go back to school or leave the job to take care of children they are no longer part of the active labor force and therefore not counted among the unemployed. Unemployment can also be the effect of events that are not part of the normal dynamics of an economy. Layoffs can be the result of technological progress, for example when robots replace workers in automobile production. Sometimes unemployment is caused by job outsourcing, due to the fact that employers often search for cheap labor around the globe and not only domestically. In 2022, the tech sector in the U.S. experienced significant lay-offs amid growing economic uncertainty. In the fourth quarter of 2022, more than 70,000 workers were laid off, despite low unemployment nationwide. The unemployment rate in the United States varies from state to state. In 2021, California had the highest number of unemployed persons with 1.38 million out of work.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Women (LNS14000002) from Jan 1948 to Jun 2025 about females, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Number of persons in the labour force (employment and unemployment), unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by age group and gender. Data are presented for 12 months earlier, previous month and current month, as well as year-over-year and month-to-month level change and percentage change. Data are also available for the standard error of the estimate, the standard error of the month-to-month change and the standard error of the year-over-year change.

Unemployment rate, participation rate, and employment rate by educational attainment, gender and age group, annual.

Labour force characteristic estimates by visible minority group, region, age group, and gender.

Unemployment Rate in Portugal decreased to 6 percent in June from 6.10 percent in May of 2025. This dataset provides - Portugal Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (U6RATE) from Jan 1994 to Jun 2025 about marginally attached, part-time, labor underutilization, workers, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, and USA.