Black Unemployment Rises as 4.2% U.S. Jobless Rate Masks Broader Weakness
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 19
Black Unemployment Rises as 4.2% U.S. Jobless Rate Masks Broader Weakness
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 19
Summary
Black workers’ rising unemployment is flashing a warning that the labor market is weaker than the headline 4.2% U.S. jobless rate suggests.
Three forces are driving the strain: companies have cut DEI roles, federal layoffs have hit a workforce where Black employees are overrepresented, and white-collar hiring has slowed sharply.
Business-services hiring is now running at a pace Jared Bernstein said resembles the sluggish post-Great Recession years, when overall unemployment was near 9% and Black unemployment was in the midteens.
Gena Pemberton, 50, lost her Omnicom Health role in July 2025 and has been out of full-time work since, despite applying to dozens of jobs a week and lowering pay and seniority expectations.