Oct. 28, 2013

Unemployment Up for Black Men, Down for Black Women
By Frederick H. Lowe

comparativeunemploymentrates

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Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from TheNorthStarNews.com

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for black men 20 years old and older increased in September, but the jobless rate the for black women in the same age group dropped slightly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning.

The unemployment rate for African-American men was 14 percent in September compared to 13.5 percent in August. The jobless rate for black women was 10 percent in September compared to 10.6 percent in August, BLS reported.

The overall seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for African Americans was 12.9 percent in September compared to 13.0 percent in August.

The nation's nonfarm businesses added 148,000 jobs in September, but the overall unemployment rate was little changed at 7.2 percent. Employment increased in construction, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing, Erica L. Groshen, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, said in a statement. 

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate for African Americans is more than double when compared to whites and much higher when compared to Hispanics, BLS reported. 

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for whites in September was 6.3 percent compared to 6.4 percent in August.White men 20 years old and older saw their jobless rate drop to 6.1 percent in September compared to 6.2 percent in August. The unemployment rate for white women 20 years old and older was 5.5 percent in September, the same as it was in August.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate for Hispanics was 9.0 percent in September compared to 9.3 percent in August.
The unemployment rate for Asians, which is reported on a not seasonally adjusted basis, was 5.3 percent in September compared to 5.1 percent in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which normally releases joblessfigures on the first Friday of each month, was forced to delay theirrelease because of the federal government shutdown from October 1 -16th.