Black Worker `Not Seasonally Adjusted' Unemployment Rate Jumps To 14.8 Percent In June 2012

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all Black workers in the United States increased from 13.3 to 14.8 percent between May and June 2012; while the “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Latino workers increased from 10.4 to 11 percent during the same period, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In addition, the “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all white workers in the United States increased from 7.2 to 7.5 percent between May and June 2012; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Asian-American workers increased from 5.2 to 6.3 percent during the same period.

Between May and June 2012, the total number of officially unemployed Black workers in the United States increased by 347,000 (from 2,438,000 to 2,780,000), according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data; while the total number of unemployed Latino workers n the U.S. labor force increased by 168,000 (from 2,550,000 to 2,718,000) during the same period, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data. In addition, the total number of jobless white workers in the United States increased by 462,000 (from 8,882,000 to 9,344,000) between May and June 2012, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data; while the total number of unemployed Asian-American workers increased by 95,000 (from 424,000 to 519,000) during the same period, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age increased from 10.8 to 12.7 percent between May and June 2012; and the total number of unemployed Black female workers over 20 years-of-age increased by 194,000 (from 1,011,000 to 1,205,000) during that same period. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age also increased from 9.2 to 10.3 percent between May and June 2012; and the total number of unemployed Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age increased by 111,000 (from 911,000 to 1,022,000) during that same period. In addition, the “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for white women over 20 years-of-age in the United States increased from 6.5 to 6.8 percent between May and June 2012; and the total number of unemployed white female workers over 20 years-of-age increased by 134,000 (from 3,533,000 to 3,667,000) during that same period.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 35.2 to 44.2 percent between May and June 2012; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 30.4 to 31 percent during that same period. In addition, between May and June 2012 the official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States also increased from 22.1 to 23.5 percent; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased from 24.4 to 26.5 percent during that same period.

Between May and June 2012 the number of unemployed Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 163,000 (from 239,000 to 402,000), according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data; while the number of jobless Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 70,000 (from 348,000 to 418,000) during that same period. In addition, the number of unemployed white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased by 303,000 (from 1,018,000 to 1,321,000) between May and June 2012, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data; while the total number of jobless youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased by 473,000 (from 1,391,000 to 1,864,000) during that same period.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all male workers over 16 years-of-age in the United States (Black, Latino, Asian-American and white) increased from 8.1 to 8.4 percent between May and June 2012; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all female workers over 16 years-of-age increased from 7.7 to 8.4 percent during that same period.. In addition, the “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all female workers over 20 years-of-age increased from 7.1 to 7.6 percent between May and June 2012; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all workers in the United States increased from 7.9 to 8.4 percent between May and June 2012. During the same period, the total “not seasonally adjusted” number of officially unemployed U.S. workers also increased from 12,271,000 to 13,184,000.

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

“…The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent…In June, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was essentially unchanged at 5.4 million. These individuals accounted for 41.9 percent of the unemployed…The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged at 8.2 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.


“In June, 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force…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 821,000 discouraged workers in June…Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them…

“Employment in…mining and logging, construction, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and government, showed little or no change…The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for April was revised from +77,000 to +68,000…”