Job Prospects for Black Workers Have Never Been Better--In Ways That Might Last [View all]

The tightest job market in generations is transforming the employment prospects for Black Americans in ways that could be more long-lasting than in past economic expansions.

The unemployment rate for Black workers fell to a record low 4.7% in April. That was still above the national average, but below 5% for the first time in Labor Department records of employment for Black Americans, which began in 1972. About 1.1 million more Black Americans held jobs last month than in February 2020, just before the pandemic took hold. That increase accounts for nearly half the total gain in employment during that time.

Black workers have long been at the bottom of the ladder in terms of wages and job security. But the confluence of strong demand for labor and demographic shifts in the country over the past few years, when many older, white workers retired, benefited Black Americans. Many moved into occupations that pay more, demand more skills and offer better long-term stability.

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It is too soon to conclude that Black workers’ gains are permanent. The unemployment rate for Black Americans also fell in 2019 to a then-record low of 5.3%, only to soar to 16.8% in May 2020, soon after the pandemic. Black Americans have less job security, shown by greater increases in unemployment during recessions, and less wealth than white Americans, leaving them especially vulnerable. Many economists forecast a new recession could arrive just months from now. There are signs, though, that some of the improvements could last, in part because many Black workers moved into higher-paying industries and occupations during the pandemic.

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