Black Youth Unemployment Rate Increases To 40.5 Percent In March 2012

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased from 34.7 to 40.5 percent between February and March 2012; while the “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 27.5 to 30.5 percent during the same period, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 21.3 to 22.5 percent between February and March 2012; while the official jobless rate for all U.S. workers between the ages of 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 23.8 to 25 percent during the same period.

Between February and March 2012, the number of unemployed Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 25,000 (from 247,000 to 272,000); while the number of Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who had jobs decreased by 67,000 (from 466,000 to 399,000) during the same period. In addition the number of Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force also decreased by 42,000 (from 713,000 to 671,000) between February and March 2012; while the number of unemployed white youths between 16 and 19 years-of age in the United States increased by 79,000 (from 977,000 to 1,056,000) during the same period.

According to the “not seasonally adjusted” data, the number of jobless Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age also increased by 26,000 (from 294,000 to 320,000) between February and March 2012; while the number of Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who had jobs decreased by 44,000 (from 774,000 to 730,000) during the same period.

The total number of white workers in the United States with jobs decreased by 57,000 (from 114,754,000 to 114,697,000) between February and March 2012, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data; while the total number of white workers in the U.S. labor force decreased by 135,000 (from 123,848,000 to 123,713,000) during the same period. The total number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age with jobs decreased by 53,000 (from 60,245,000 to 60,192,000) between February and March 2012; while the number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 90,000 (from 64,642,000 to 64,552,000) during the same period. In addition, between February and March 2012 the total number of white female workers over 20 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force also decreased by 136,000 (from 54,609,000 to 54,473,000); while the total number of white female workers over 20 years-of-age with jobs decreased by 17,000 (from 50,890,000 to 50,873,000) during the same period.

According to the “seasonally adjusted” data, the official unemployment rate for all Black workers in the United States was 14 percent in March 2012. The official jobless rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age was 13.8 percent in March 2012; while the jobless rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age during that same month was 12.3 percent. In addition, the official unemployment rate for all Latino workers in the United States was 10.3 percent in March 2012; while the total number of Latino workers in the U.S. labor force decreased by 78,000 (from 24,206,000 to 24,128,000) between February and March 2012, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April 6, 2012 press release:

“…Employment…was down in retail trade…The number of unemployed persons (12.7 million) and the unemployment rate (8.2 percent) were both little changed in March…

“The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was essentially unchanged at 5.3 million in March. These individuals accounted for 42.5 percent of the unemployed…

“In March, 2.4 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, essentially unchanged from a year earlier…These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey…

“Among the marginally attached, there were 865,000 discouraged workers in March, about the same as a year earlier…Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them…

“…Retail trade lost jobs over the month. Government employment was essentially unchanged…Employment in temporary help services was about unchanged over the month…Retail trade employment fell by 34,000 in March….

“Employment in…mining, construction, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, and information, changed little in March…”