WASHINGTON (AURN News) — Black unemployment rose sharply in July, climbing to 7.2% from 6.8% in June — a sign of mounting economic strain on Black workers and communities already facing widening disparities in a cooling job market, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
White unemployment held at 3.7%, while Hispanic unemployment stood at 5% and Asian unemployment was 3.9%.
In May, Black unemployment was 6%, down slightly from 6.3% in April. The rate has risen each month since, further widening disparities between Black workers and other groups in the labor force.
At the same time, earlier job growth figures have been sharply revised. May’s payroll gains, originally reported as 144,000 jobs, were corrected to just 19,000. June’s numbers dropped from 147,000 to 14,000. Together, the revisions wiped out 258,000 previously reported positions.
The trend comes amid the rollback of federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs — a hallmark of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.
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